Meet southern Africa’s golden Cape cobra: A stunning yet lethal predator that’s as deadly as the black mamba

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Published: Sunday, 03 November 2024 at 05:46 AM

Southern Africa’s deadliest cobra, the Cape cobra (Naja nivea) is a striking and highly venomous snake that is instantly recognisable – and feared.

How big are cape cobras?

Average adult cap cobras are around 1.6m long, exceptionally 2m; male larger than female.

What do cape cobras look like?

These beautiful snake is typically yellowish or golden brown, although some individuals are black, while others are highly speckled dark or light.

What do cape cobras eat?

Rodents, birds, frogs, toads. lizards and other snakes. Will even take carrion, usually road-killed snakes.

How deadly are Cap Cobras

A cape cobra possesses potent venom – a neurotoxin as lethal as that of the black mamba, causing death by respiratory paralysis.

Does anything hunt the cape cobra?

it also has a surprising number of enemies. Adults fear attacks by honey badgers, servals, large grey mongooses and secretary birds (one of the world’s weirdest birds), while a juvenile or immature snake may also fall prey to other mongoose species, meerkats, raptors, herons and crows.

How do cape cobras reproduce?

Mating period in Western Cape is November-December. Oviparous: female lays 8-20 eggs that hatch after about 60 days, in late February/early March.

Young are approximately 30cm long at hatching.

Where to do cape cobras live?

This cobra lives in southern Africa and is found widely in the Western and Northern Cape, Free State, North West Province, western parts of Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Botswana and southern Namibia.

It an be found virtually anywhere, including on farms and even in towns if there is enough cover and a source of food.

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