Bis-Cobra
Location: India
Time: A prominent figure in local Indian superstition, first recorded by colonial scientists.
It seems common in cryptozoology that traditional superstition and myth is incorporated into crypto literature, with no real likelihood of a new species being the culprit.
The bis-cobra of India is an example. In truth, the bis-cobra is a local name for the bengal monitor (in particular, the boldly marked juveniles), locals believe it has the ability to kill with its gaze, spit venom, and a bite doubly as venomous as a cobra. In reality, the bite of monitor lizards is only mildly venomous, at worst resulting in skin irritation or infection, a nearly mythical status has been given to a mostly harmless lizard through superstition. Cryptozoologists have added this local name to their bestiary-like lists as another potential cryptid, when in reality it was never unknown to begin with, being simply a common kind of lizard exaggerated by mythology and folklore.
This is symptomatic of a larger problem common in cryptozoology, the idea that many myths and superstitions are indicative of real animals, when in all possibility they are fictional products of culture, akin to demons or spirits. Indeed, the yeti and sasquatch are argued to be true based partly on Asian and North American myths of cannibalistic giants and ogres, when most probably these beliefs can just be nature spirits borne from the psyche of different cultures.
So let’s speculate again, if the bis-cobra were a separate, unknown animal, as dangerous as the natives believe, maybe it would be related to the gila monster of North America. Indeed, this family of venomous lizards previously inhabited Asia during prehistory; the bis-cobra could be a survivor of that lineage. The Bis-Cobra (Najasaurus indicus) is a small Helodermatid lizard (about 30 centimetres long), remarkable among this family in that its venom can often prove fatal to humans. At least as strong as cobra venom, it uses this deadly bite to quickly kill mammals its own size or smaller, as it lacks the speed to chase them in the manner that a monitor would. As a defence, it can spit venom in the manner of a spitting cobra, and will usually assume this action when faced with a predator or intruder, such as a mongoose, hawk or human. Local people rightly give this animal a wide berth. It is often confused with monitor lizards, thus its dangerous reputation has extended to both, and the colouring of the bis-cobra resembles a young monitor. Reproduction occurs in the dry season, eggs are buried in sand and abandoned, young are potently venomous from birth.
Location: India
Time: A prominent figure in local Indian superstition, first recorded by colonial scientists.
It seems common in cryptozoology that traditional superstition and myth is incorporated into crypto literature, with no real likelihood of a new species being the culprit.
The bis-cobra of India is an example. In truth, the bis-cobra is a local name for the bengal monitor (in particular, the boldly marked juveniles), locals believe it has the ability to kill with its gaze, spit venom, and a bite doubly as venomous as a cobra. In reality, the bite of monitor lizards is only mildly venomous, at worst resulting in skin irritation or infection, a nearly mythical status has been given to a mostly harmless lizard through superstition. Cryptozoologists have added this local name to their bestiary-like lists as another potential cryptid, when in reality it was never unknown to begin with, being simply a common kind of lizard exaggerated by mythology and folklore.
This is symptomatic of a larger problem common in cryptozoology, the idea that many myths and superstitions are indicative of real animals, when in all possibility they are fictional products of culture, akin to demons or spirits. Indeed, the yeti and sasquatch are argued to be true based partly on Asian and North American myths of cannibalistic giants and ogres, when most probably these beliefs can just be nature spirits borne from the psyche of different cultures.
So let’s speculate again, if the bis-cobra were a separate, unknown animal, as dangerous as the natives believe, maybe it would be related to the gila monster of North America. Indeed, this family of venomous lizards previously inhabited Asia during prehistory; the bis-cobra could be a survivor of that lineage. The Bis-Cobra (Najasaurus indicus) is a small Helodermatid lizard (about 30 centimetres long), remarkable among this family in that its venom can often prove fatal to humans. At least as strong as cobra venom, it uses this deadly bite to quickly kill mammals its own size or smaller, as it lacks the speed to chase them in the manner that a monitor would. As a defence, it can spit venom in the manner of a spitting cobra, and will usually assume this action when faced with a predator or intruder, such as a mongoose, hawk or human. Local people rightly give this animal a wide berth. It is often confused with monitor lizards, thus its dangerous reputation has extended to both, and the colouring of the bis-cobra resembles a young monitor. Reproduction occurs in the dry season, eggs are buried in sand and abandoned, young are potently venomous from birth.