deleray wrote:fredsmith wrote:Naja k. suphanensis? - Googled Suphan... Asiatic cobra.
Is that correct? I thought it was no longer considered a sub-species and is now just a colour variation of N. Kaouthia?
It is just a colour form of N. kaouthia. The genetics of this are not entirely clear, i.e., whether it is a kind of single locus mutation (like leucism, albinism etc.), or whether it is a regional colour phase. Certainly, most of the specimens known seem to originate from a fairly well-defined region of C. Thailand, e.g., Suphan Buri Province, after which the form is named (BTW the pronounciation is Soo-pahn, not Suh-fan - just like Phuket is pronoucend Poo-ket, not "
it", much to many people's disappointment) and the adjoining provinces or Ratchaburi, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya. I have also seen specimens that looked very intermediate between Suphans and ordinary N. kaouthia (e.g., cream-coloured, but with clear hood mark), but breeders seem to think that they come out like leucistics from crosses between normal and "Suphan" parents - I havebeen shown normal kaouthia and supposed "Suphans" that were siblings.
Cheers,
WW