Poiionouj Snakes of tho World 



Itody Mcal(>N : DurHalx tmiiHilli, In 17 Uri iililli|iif riiws 

 ii( iiiidliotl.r, iiMiiiilly iMi>ri> lui tlif iio'k ; fi'wcr ixislcrlorly. 

 Vfiitrtils l.">l> ■':i:.' ; iiiiiil |iliili> ciillrf; siilii'iiiuliils l"_' HS, 

 iiioslly imlrctl. 



Mavilliiry trt-lli: 'i'\\» nilhcr liiruc Inliuliir liiiiKs willi 



oMfiiml 1:1 vi's fi.llinvfd. iiflci- nil iiilcrsiunc, l>y (I .'5 



small ti'rtli. 



Forest Cobra, Xdjn mehiuuleuca IIiillowi-ll. 



Iihnti/iriititiii: Tills liirno dark U>rr»>strial colira is 

 most i-aslly rccoKiiizt'il l>y tlit> highly iiolislii'd dursal 

 scnh's 1111(1 lli«> <'r«-amy-\vliiti> laliial sciiti-s which arc 

 odcfd with liliick. It Is siimt'limi's mistaken for llic 

 Mack mamha 1 l><iiilrtiii.<<i>i.i i>iiliilfi)ix] which docs iiol 

 Ciller the rain forest region excciit aloii;; its edfjes. 

 However, the forest cohra is a slower-movinir, thicker- 

 liodicd. and liroader-hooded snake than the mainlia. 

 Adults average (5 (o 7 feet in length; record length s 

 feet IVj inches (I'itnian, 1938 :2tr,). 



This cohra is often unicolor k1<'>'>^.v Wack above. How- 

 ever, the head and sonietiiiies the anterior part of the 

 liody may he hrown : in young individuals small white 

 spots are scattered or appear as narrow crosshands over 

 tlie posterior part of the body. Chin and helly creamy 

 white, usually with one or two relatively narrow (4 

 ventrals wide) black bands under the hood ; increasiiiR 

 nmounts of black posteriorly (See plate VII. fig. 3; plate 

 VIII, tij:. S). 



Dorsals in 17-21 rows at midhody. more (2.3-20) on 

 the neck, fewer (13) i)osteriorly. Ventrals 197-22G ; 

 snhcaiulals ."i7-74. 



Dixtrihidiiiii: Tropical rain forest and subtropical 

 forest areas (and where such fore.sts have recently dis- 

 apiieared) through most of west and central Africa; 

 southward to Angola and Zululand. 



Itrmarls: The forest cobi-a has a long wedge-shaped 

 hood like that of the spitting cobra (N. itiriricdllix) and 

 is often mistaken for the dark color-phase of the latter. 

 However, it does not "spit" and differs from the spit- 

 ting colira in labial color and in the width of the neck 

 bands (4 ventrals versus 7 in N. nigricolUs). 



The forest cobra is seldom aggressive and few bites 

 are reported. However, it has a highly toxic venom 

 and fatalities are known. 



A polyvalent antivenin ("Kobra") is produced by 

 Ki'hringwerke. (Jermany, and Institut Pasteur, Paris. 



Spitting Cobra, Naja nigricollis Keinhardt. 



IdcntificatUin: A broad black band (width of 7 ven- 

 trals or more) under the hood or an entirely black un- 

 derside, together with the absence of distinctive labial 

 coloration, are the best identification features of this 

 cobra. Its scales are smooth but not so glossy as these 

 of the forest cobra. As in the latter, the hood is long 

 and narrow. Adults average 5 to 6 feet ; record is 7 

 feet, 4 inches. 



Body color highly variable, ranging from pinkish-tan 

 in some areas to unicolor black In others. In South- 

 west Africa there is one race with alternating rings of 

 brown and black. Light areas underneath are often 

 pinkish, even in black individuals (see plate VIII. fig. 9l. 



Dorsals In 17 2,' rows at mldbody, iiiore ( 10 2)1) on 



I k. fewer (II 1(1) posteriorly. Ventrals I7(i 232; Hiib- 



caiidals ri(!-73. 



Dixli-ilnilloii: Tliroughont the siiviinnali areas of 

 .\frlca south of the Sahara, iil.so invading newly-cleared 

 areas. I-'rom west Africa and southern Kgypl. avoiding 

 the dense forests, to the borders of the Cape Province. 



IfiUKirlix: This Is one of I lie common cobras of the 

 open grasslands and one of I lie most dangerous snakeH 

 of Africa. Although if seldom bites, a large individual 

 can "spit" (actuall.v sipiirt ) its venom for as far as 9 

 feel, aiming at the eyes. The venom does not alTect the 

 unbroken skin hut, like that of the ringhals i Hcma- 

 i-liiitiix) , in the eyes it causes great pain and spasm of 

 the eyelids. The e.ve tissues are destroyed unless the 

 venom is washed out immediately with water or .some 

 olhcr nonirritating liifuid. Subse(pient flushing of the 

 eyes with antivenin diluted with water (1 :.") apparently 

 is beneficial since the venom is absorbed ipiickly into 

 th(> tissues. 



Polyvalent antivenins arc inanufaclured by I'diriiig- 

 weike. (lermany; South African Institute for Medical 

 Research, .loliannesburg, Republic of South Africa; and 

 I lie Instil ul Pasteur. Paris. 



Yellow Cobra, Ntija n/rea (Linnaeus). 



Iilciitijicdiiiiti: A relatively small and slender cobra 

 without the black bands under the hood which character- 

 ize the forest and spitting cobras and without the row 

 of subocular scales that identifies the Egyptian cobra 

 (A'. Iiaje). It has a broad and rather rounded hood. 

 Adults average 5 to (! feet ; record length about 7 feet. 



Dorsal coloration extremely variable, usuall.v yellow- 

 ish to reddish brown but occasionally (southern South- 

 west Africa and ad.iacent Cape Province) unicolor 

 black ; light color sometimes speckled with dark, or 

 vice-versa. Lighter, and usually unicolor. below. One 



Figure G3. — Yellow Cobra. Naja iiirca. This is a yellow- 

 speckled brown individual. The hood is not fully 

 spread. Photo by New York Zoological Society. 



96 



