Aberrant hood-like markings on the posterior body of a Spectacled Cobra (<i>Naja naja</i>)

We herein report a curious case of aberrant hood-like markings on the posterior body of a N. naja from India.At 0730 h on 14 June 2024, PR rescued a young Spectacled Cobra (Fig. 1) (~400 mm total length) from a house in Mahbubnagar, Telangana, in southern India (16.748, 77.983; 500 m asl).This snake had a typically spectacled hood but also had distinctive hood-like markings on its posterior body.The typical markings were present at the levels of ventral scales 17-23, 28-30, and 35 (forebody and neck), whereas the aberrant hood-like markings were at the levels of ventral scales 116-121, 123-