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Cape Cobra

Cape cobras are medium-sized, highly poisonous cobra snakes occurring extensively across southern Africa. There are no known subspecies of this snake. They are non-spitting cobras. The species is diurnal, terrestrial and quick moving.

Scientific Classification
Quick Information

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Reptilia
Order	Squamata
Suborder	Serpentes
Family	Elapidae
Genus	Naja
Subgenus	Uraeus
Scientific Name	Naja nivea

Other Names	Yellow Cobra
Length	Around 1.2 to 1.4 m, largest specimen recorded is 1.88 m
Color	From yellow to golden brown to dark brown and black; specimens have black or pale speckles and blotches in varying degrees
Distribution	Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, North West Province, southern half of Namibia, western Lesotho, southwestern Botswana
Habitat	Fynbos, bushveld, arid savanna, karoo scrubland, the Namib desert, the Kalahari desert, also found along streams and rivers in well-drained open areas
Diet	Rodents, other snakes, birds, lizards, carrion
Hibernation Fact	Doesn’t hibernate
Predators	Honey badger, meerkats, few species of mongoose, birds of prey including secretary birds, snake eagles
Venom Fact	Venom consists of neurotoxins and cardiotoxins
Breeding Season	September – October
Mode of Reproduction	Oviparous (egg laying)
Clutch Size	8 to 20 eggs
Incubation Period	65 to 70 days
Average Lifespan	Maximum 26 years in captivity
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern