The smallest true cobra species is the Mozambique spitting cobra (Naja mossambica) which is about 1.2 meters (4 feet) long. Cape Cobra: The Most Dangerous in Africa? When death does occur, it normally takes anywhere from an hour (in severe cases) to ten hours (or more) and it is often as a result of respiratory failure, due to the onset of paralysis.

Naja nivea Auerbach, 1987 The venom of this snake tends to be thick and syrupy in consistency and dries into shiny pale flakes, not unlike yellow sugar. The city is widely known as a “Waterfront Wonderland”, since with over 400 miles (640 kilometers) … This species has no known subspecies.

This brings them into direct contact with humans.

Clutch size was 11–14 (n=2) and hatchling ratio was one male to five females.[11]. The Cape Cobra may stand its ground if threatened and is quick to form a hood. Some South Africans call them Copper Cobras due to their distinct yellow color. [5] Cape cobras can be cannibalistic, sometimes eating the young of its own kind. [4], The Cape cobra is a medium-sized species of cobra. It is a terrestrial snake, but will readily climb trees and bushes, and shows considerable agility in for example systematically robbing the nests of the sociable weaver.

It is by far our most dangerous cobra and with the Black Mamba it accounts for the majority of fatal snake bites in South Africa.

It hosted snake expert Shaun Macleod.

They have an excellent sense of smell and night vision. Cobra Village: Scariest Place on The Planet ? [13] The antivenom used in case of a bite is a polyvalent antivenom produced by the South African Institute of Medical Research (SAIMR).

The Cape cobra is also known as the "geelslang" (yellow snake) and "bruinkapel" (… They placed Naja nivea in the subgenus Uraeus, the African non-spitting cobras: the Cape cobra (N. nivea), the Egyptian cobra (N. haje), the snouted cobra (N. annulifera), Anchieta's cobra (N. anchietae), Arabian cobra (N. arabica) and Senegalese cobra (N. Another very large specimen was also a male found in De Hoop Nature Reserve with a total length of 1.86 metres (6.1 ft).

The Cape cobra (Naja nivea), also called the yellow cobra is a moderate-sized, highly venomous species of cobra inhabiting a wide variety of biomes across southern Africa including arid savanna, fynbos, bushveld, desert and semi-desert regions. It often inhabits rodent burrows, abandoned termite mounds and, in arid regions, rock crevices. The species is diurnal, terrestrial and quick moving. Pictures of the extremely venomous snake were immediately uploaded to Twitter and social media, spreading instantly throughout the web and news channels.

Some experts claim that the colors are set according to the geographic area of the Cobra, while others claim to have observed all color schemes in one single location. [1] The generic name naja is a Latinisation of the Sanskrit word nāgá (नाग) meaning "cobra". The colour fades during the first year or two of life, but while it lasts it commonly leads laymen to confuse the juvenile Cape cobra with the Rinkhals spitting cobra. Recorded prey items for this species at De Hoop from October 2004 to March 2006 showed that 31% of the species' diet consisted of rodents, 20% was other snakes, 11% lizards, 11% birds, 16% carrion, and 11% "conspecifics".

The connection with snow is obscure, but might have been suggested by discolouration of the first preserved specimens received by taxonomists in Europe.

For example, the Kalahari Desert specimens in Botswana and Namibia are usually more consistently yellow than the more southerly populations. The lifespan is from 20 to 30 years, depending on the species. Naja (Uraeus) nivea Wallach, 2009. The mortality rate for untreated bites is not exactly known, but is thought to be high. The Cape Cobra is one of four non-spitting cobras found in southern Africa. senegalensis). The Cape cobra (Naja nivea), also called the yellow cobra, is a moderate-sized, highly venomous species of cobra inhabiting a wide variety of biomes across southern Africa including arid savanna, fynbos, bushveld, desert and semi-desert regions. This species has no known subspecies.

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The one and only anti-venom available is produced by the South African Institute of Medical Research (SAIMR). [6] It is a terrestrial snake, but will readily climb trees and bushes, and shows considerable agility in for example systematically robbing the nests of the sociable weaver. The species is diurnal and is a feeding generalist, preying on a number of different species and carrion.