Central and Southern Africa 



Definition: Head rather liruail. flattened, not distinct 

 from neck ; distinct cantluis ; snout obtusely pointed. 

 Body moderately slender, slishtly depressed. tai)ering; 

 neck region capable of being expanded into hood : tail 

 moderately long. 



Eyes moderate in size ; pupils round. 



Head scales : The usual on the crown ; rostral 

 large and obtusely pointed. Laterally, nasal in contact 

 with single preocular. 



Bod.v .>«ales : Dorsals distinctly keeled, in 19 oblique 

 rows at midbody. fewer (1.")) posteriorly. Ventrals 116- 

 150 ; anal plate entire ; suhcaudals .S3— i". the first 3-4 

 frequently single, the remainder ]iaired. 



Maxillary teeth : Two short tubular fangs with ex- 

 ternal grooves ; no other teeth on hone. 



Ringhals, Tlemncliatus haemachafus (Lacepede). 



Idrnlificulion: A cobra with strongly keeled scales. 

 When the snake raises the anterior part of its body and 

 spreads the hood, as it does in a defensive attitude, it 



Figure 61. — Ringhals. Urmarhalitx }iii) marhntiia. The 

 strongly keeled scales distinguish this si)ecies from 

 other cobras. I'hoto by Zoological Society of San 

 Diego. 



exposes a black Ibroat with 1-3. usually L*. light bands 

 on the ventral surface below the hood. The first light 

 band is narrow (1-2 ventrals in width) while the other 

 is broad (.">-" ventrals). Adults average 3^4 to 4 feet 

 in length : record length "just over 5 feet" I FitzSimons. 

 1962:288). 



The dorsal color is usually dark brown with irregular 

 crossbands of lighter brown, often with small black 

 spots ; occasionally gray or greenish ; old individuals be- 

 come almost unicolor black. 



Distribution: Veldt and open country in .southeastern 

 and southern Africa from Rhodesia to the southern Cape 

 Province. 



Rcmarkx: This is the most highly specialized of the 

 "spitting" cobras. Its fangs are relatively short but 

 the small venom orifice on the front of the fang and 



strong muscles around the venom gland allow the ejec- 

 tion of venom in a fine spray to a distance of 5 to 7 

 feet. The venom is ordinarily aimed at the e.ves of the 

 enemy. It causes intense pain and sjiasm of the eye- 

 lids. Destruction of eye tissue and blindness may result 

 if the eye is not washed out immediately with some 

 harmless fluid (Fitzsimons. 1962: 290). The ringhals 

 bites if restrained, and can catise death. 



Polyvalent antivenin "Polyvalent" and "Tropical" are 

 produced by the South African Institute for Medical 

 Research. .Toluinnesburg. 



ELAPIDAE: Genus Naja Laurenti, 1768. 

 Cobras. 



Six species are recognized ; all are African except 

 the Asiatic Cobra. \aja naja, and range throughout the 

 African continent except for the drifting sand areas 

 of the Saliara region. They are snakes of moderate 

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

 toxic venom. The species, X. niijricollis "spits" its 

 venom at the eyes of an aggressor; it is found in the 

 southern part of the region of north Africa. The 

 Kgyptian colira tXaja liajr) and the western subspecies 

 of tlic Asiatic cobra iXaja naja oxiann) are found in 

 the N'ear and Middle East region. 



Definition: Head rather broad, flattened, oidy slightly 

 distinct from ne<k : snout rounded, a distinct cauthus. 

 liody moderately slender, slightly depressed, tapered; 

 neck capable of expansion into hood ; tail of moderate 

 length. 



Eyes moderate in size; pui)ils round. 



Head scales: The usual 9 on the crown; frontal 

 short : rostral rounded. Laterally, nasal in contact with 

 the one or two preoculars. 



FiGiRE 62. — Egyptian Cobra. Xaja haje. This danger- 

 ous species is widespread through the region. Photo 

 by New York Zoological Society. (See p. 80, fig. 49 

 and plate VIII. figure 7.) 



95 



