The generic name, Dendroaspis, derives from Ancient Greek dendro (δένδρο), meaning "tree",[REF] and aspis (ασπίς), which is understood to mean "shield",[REF] but also denotes "cobra" or simply "snake", in particular "snake with hood (shield)".
The specific epithet polylepis is derived from the Ancient Greek poly (πολύ) meaning "many" and lepis (λεπίς) meaning "scale" [REF].