Here's an interesting little phenomenon I discovered yesterday....I have a picture of my cobra, Shelby, set as my cell phone background. Needless to say, I see that picture a lot during the day, so I tend to notice every little thing about it...and I realized yesterday that his hood is longer on his left side than on his right side, by about 4 scutes. I was curious if it was just Shelby, so I did a Google image search for monocled cobra, and every single picture I found also showed the hood longer on the left side...bizarre. Every one was the left side...I am curious if there might be a reason for this that anyone knows?
My best guess would be that, since the organs and internal systems lined up and the left side is often favored (they have only a functional left lung), perhaps the same holds true for external features?

I also looked at other Naja ssp., and it seems that they also have asymmetry.

Here is the picture of my cobra, with yellow lines showing where the hood ends on each side, so you guys can see what I'm talking about. If anyone else has noticed this, or knows if there's a reason, I'd be really interested. :) http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh115/Will0W783/Shelby_hood_measurement.jpg

could it be an illusion because of the angle the picture was taken at?

It's not an illusion because it's the same in every picture of him- look at the pictures in the thread I have on here of him....and its' the same in pictures of other cobras too. Here's a link to the Google image search- every picture where you can clearly see the bottom of the hood on both sides it's the same. It's so weird!
https://www.google.com/search?q=naja%20kaouthia&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1392&bih=744&sei=-gfVTtyBHIiqrAf67ri5Dg

I see what your saying, never noticed that before. if i had to take a guess I would agree with your hypothesis. It could very well have something to do with the internal organ and bone structure.

Leave it to me to notice something subtle like that....the scientist in me comes out at odd times! :lmao:

Hey Kim, I think you'll find that what you are seeing is not all that uncommon in the animal world. Probably this has to do with how the cells move in very early development. And it's not just cobra hoods. If you look around hard enough, you'll see that most animals have a left kidney that is situated slightly more caudal than the right, and most animals that have testicles have a left testicle that is descended slightly further than the right. My guess is what you have discovered is another example of the same process. Cool that you noticed it.

Edit: After thinking about this for a minute, I realized it is normally the right kidney that is more caudal and the right testicle that is further descended. Still, I'd bet it happens for the same reason.

Thanks Shane! That's pretty much what I'd figured, but it's great to have a veterinarian chime in. :)

Is Shelby left handed? :lmao: :lmao:

I'm sorry, I couldn't stop myself :D. That IS very interesting though.

I have noticed this for awhile as well. I did not pay attention as to what side was longer though. This is interesting though.

Dan

That is really cool, nothing I ever would have noticed! I guess it just goes to reason though, very few things are ever perfectly symmetrical..

i think pretty much like shad. i think its an illusion. the back end of the hood is covered by the belly scales.

i searched on google and found pics where the right side is smaller.

i looked up more and found some pics where u have em completely straight and there the hood is equal.

i also looked at pics from the back of the hood (so that u see the monocle) and it look equal too.


heres a pic where the hood is even

http://s1.directupload.net/images/111130/i3ybz3vt.jpg (http://www.directupload.net)

and here anja atra

http://s14.directupload.net/images/111130/llpjytle.jpg (http://www.directupload.net)


so yeah- i think it has something to do with the belly scales which cover the end of the hood in the right angle

Let's also don't forget that the hood is controlled by skeletal muscle, which the snake has complete control over. He/she can open that hood at any degree of open/closed including one side or the other. Ribs are involved, so I don't think they would be able to fully flare one side without the other, but I don't know that for sure.

Let's also don't forget that the hood is controlled by skeletal muscle, which the snake has complete control over. He/she can open that hood at any degree of open/closed including one side or the other. Ribs are involved, so I don't think they would be able to fully flare one side without the other, but I don't know that for sure.

that could be the answer too. they probably have control over it. so that its basically even from nature, but they can control em the way they wanna have it.

just a dumb idea, but maybe the side where the prey item (or predator) stands is smaller because its less surface for the prey or predator to bite in.:dunno:

....i checked out those pics on google.....most have the left side a tad bit longer...but some also have both sides equal in length..... but like Shane said...they can control the muscle how they please.

Pitoon

could some specimens tend to favor a particular side, left or right handed so to speak?

could some specimens tend to favor a particular side, left or right handed so to speak?

I think a good experiment for you would be to put a pen in their mouths and see which side they tend to write better with.:lmao:
If you do this, you will have to be VERY careful. I would not want you to get any ink on your hands.

I was born in West Virginia so naturally one of my legs is slightly longer than the other. It happens, no organism is perfect their is no true proto-type to any species.

I think a good experiment for you would be to put a pen in their mouths and see which side they tend to write better with.:lmao:
If you do this, you will have to be VERY careful. I would not want you to get any ink on your hands.

Dont worry Shane I am conducting this experiment as I write this. Have no fears about ink, I already thought of this thats why I am using a pencil!:lmao:

I think a good experiment for you would be to put a pen in their mouths and see which side they tend to write better with.
If you do this, you will have to be VERY careful. I would not want you to get any ink on your hands.


LMAO!!!!!


Joe, those two pictures you posted are very interesting- are they both Naja atra, or just the bottom one? In the bottom one, it does look like the muscles are engaged slightly lower on the snake's left side, but the first one sure does look symmetrical.

I could not find a perfectly symmetrical N. kaouthia picture, but it very well may be that the hooding is under control of the snake. If this were the case though, why would the majority of N. kaouthia hood lower on the left than the right?

And if it is just an illusion, why is it noticeable at so many different angles on so many pictures of so many different cobras? It might be interesting to see if there are some that are perfectly symmetrical- and if so, would hood symmetry be inheritable? It may also depend on the species.

My cobra's hood is always noticeably longer on the left than the right, regardless of which angle I look at him from- I can see the hood is longer from the front or back, and from any angle sideways where I can see both sides.

Ribs are involved, so I don't think they would be able to fully flare one side without the other, but I don't know that for sure.

They can. One of mine does that quite often. It will flare out the right side (my perspective) and leave the left pretty much flat. It usually is in curious mood when it does this and dosent stay like that for long. I have not noticed this behavior with my other one. With her it is all or nothing.

I have also noticed the asymetrical hoods as well. Both of mine are like this. I thought it may have been a genetic defect at first, since they are albino. But upon doing a little research they are all pretty much asymetrical.

I agree. Of all cobra species I've kept I believe that most everyone was favoring the left side of the hood. As some said I've noticed but payed no mind to it. Even in humans does not one ear always sit lower than the other?