Post-ovipositional development of the monocled cobra, Naja kaouthia (Serpentes: Elapidae).
External morphological development between oviposition and hatching of the monocled cobra, Naja kaouthia, is described. Ten developmental stages are diagnosed according to nine features. These include fusion of the body wall musculature along the ventral midline, appearance of the endolymphatic ducts, formation of the eyelid, and the appearance of scales on the head and body. Additional observations of the developing skull are made at four of these ten stages, based on cleared and stained heads.
Jackson
Kate
K
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. kjackson@oeb.harvard.edu