Poisonout Snakoi of iho Wor/J 



•J(> to K* simk»>l)iUMli>iitlis iiiimiiillv ; tlic true (i^^uic 

 is |>i'(il>iil>ly lii;;lu'r. 



'I'lio iiiost iiupoi'laiil poisonous simkos of ikhiIi 

 Africa iii'o vipiM's; cobras occur Iml apparciilly 

 play a iniiior role in snaUchile acciilouls. 



GENERIC AND SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS 



ELAPIDAE: Genus f/opso/deo Bocage, 1866. 

 A lihan eaiicr snakes. 



.V siliylo species (/■,'. kiiikIiiiiIIH ) wilh 11 «e<«i-iililiic 

 laie.s is currently recojjiii/.ed (See p. '.M i. 11 ranges ovcf 

 most iif tropical and soulhern Africa except for I lie 

 Cape region. It attains a lentitli of .'? to 4 feel and is 

 polentiall.v dannerons. However, it is sluc^isli and in- 

 otTensive and bites only in self-defense. This spe<ies 

 enters the southern part of this region (see plate VIII, 

 fit?. 3). 



Difiiiitiiiii: Head of aio<lcr;ile size. ncp| dislinct from 

 neck; an indistinct cantluis. liody niodcralcly slender, 

 <ylindrical ; tail very short. 



Kyea snniU ; pupils round. 



Head scales: The usual t) on the crown; rostral en- 

 larged, obtusely pointed ; internasals short. Laterally, 

 nasal in narrow contact with sinnle preocular. 



Hody scales: Dorsals smooth and rounded, in 13 rows 

 at niidbody. Ventrals 13.S-1.S4; anal plate entire; sub- 

 candals paired (a few sometimes sint;le) 1.3-2!). 



Maxillary teeth : Two large tubular fangs with ex- 

 ternal groove followed, after an interspace, by 2—1 small 

 teeth. 



ELAPIDAE: Genus Naja Laurenti, 1768. 

 ( 'nl>ras. 



Six species are recognized; all are African except the 

 Asiatic cobra, Naja naja, and range tlironghont the 

 African continent except for the drifting sand areas of 

 the Sahara region. They are snalies of moderate (4 

 feet) to large (8 feet) size, with large fangs and toxic 

 venom. The species A'. iiif/ricolUs ".spits" its venom at 

 the eyes of an aggressor ; it is found in the southern 

 part of the region of north Africa. The Egyptian cobra 

 iXuju hajc) and the western subspecies of the Asiatic 

 cobra [Xaja naju oxiana) are found in the Xear and 

 Middle East region. 



Definition: Head rather broad, flattened, only slightly 

 distinct from neck ; snout rounded, a distinct canthus. 

 Body moderatel.v slender, slightly dei)ressed. tapered, 

 neck capable of expansion into hood ; tail of moderate 

 length. 



Eyes ni'iderate in size; pupils round. 



Head scales : The usual 9 on the crown ; frontal 

 short ; rostral rounded. Laterally, nasal In contact with 

 the one or two preoculars. 



Body scales: Dorsals smooth, in 17-25 oblique rows 



III nildliody, usually iii"ic on ilie neck, fewer ixisleriorly. 

 \'enlrals ird) 232; iiniil pliile entire; subcaiidiils 42-H8, 

 mostly jialred. 



Maxillary teeth: Two rather large tubular fangs 

 \\ilh external grooves followed, after iin Interspace, by 

 .'I smilll leeth. 



Egyptian Cobra, .^''/'' Imji I I ,iiiii;it'iis). 



Idiiiti/lfiiliuii : Hody form lyplcally cobra like — .short 

 wid(' head, nol, dislinct from neck; body moderately 

 stout but graceful with even taper and moderately long 

 tail; scales smooth with dull sheen, scale rows strongly 

 oblique especially on forebody ; nnal plate entire; sub- 

 caudals paired. 



A useful point in ideal iliiat ion of cobras and cobra- 

 liUe \-enomous snakes (elapidsi is Ihe alisence of llie 

 loreal shield so that the shield bordering or enclosing 

 the nostril touches the shield that borders the eye 

 anteriorly (the preocular). The loreal is present in 

 most nonpoisfinous snakes, and absent most often in 

 small burrowing or secretive types. The Egyptian cobra 

 may be distinguished from other African cobras by the 

 presence of small subocular scales separating the eye 

 from the upiier labials. 



Color exlremely variable. Adiill snakes from Egypt 

 and Libya may be brownish yellow, dark brown, or 

 almost black : the head and neck are almost always a 

 little dai-ker; below yellowish becoming suffused with 



Figure 49. — Egyptian Cobra, Xajn hajc. Photo by Isa- 

 belle Hunt Conant. (See also plale VIII, tig. 7.) 



brown ; dark bars across neck at level of hood. Young 

 yellowish ; head and neck black ; body crossed by wide 

 dark bands. Adult snakes from .southern Morocco are 

 black above; purplish red with black bars and mottling 

 below. 



A large cobra, maximum length about 8 feet ; average 

 5 to C feet. 



Distribution: Occurs throughout the northern three- 

 quarters of Africa exclusive of the rain forest ; also 

 found in the western and southern parts of the Arabian 

 Peninsula. 



Found in a great variety of habitats such as flat land 

 with scrubby bushes and grass clumps ; irrigated flelds, 

 rocky hillsides, old ruins and in the vicinity of villages. 



80 



