Mozambique spitting cobra

Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica )

The Mozambique spitting cobra, (Naja mossambica ) is a snake from Africa. It belongs to the genus of the Real cobras of the family Elapidae.

Description

The snake is on the upper side gray, olive or yellow-brown. Some or all scales have black borders. On the ventral side it is salmon pink to yellowish- violet colored. The ventral scales are mottled or lined with brown or black. The species is about 1 meter long. In Durban, however, a specimen of 1.54 meters in length was found.

Dissemination

It is the most common cobra of the African savannah. The distribution area includes KwaZulu -Natal, Lowveld in South Africa on the border with Mozambique, southeastern Tanzania and Pemba Island, the western and southern Angola and northern Namibia.

Way of life

The diet consists mainly of amphibians, other snakes, birds, eggs, small mammals, and occasionally insects.

The female lays 10 to 20 eggs, which hatch 230 to 250 millimeters tall boy.

Toxic effect

The Mozambique spitting cobra - is regarded as one of the most dangerous African snakes. You can raise up to two -thirds of their body length and inject their venom in the direction of the supposed enemy. There is as pressed in other spitting cobras from the venom glands and splashed several meters. The snake is targeted mainly at the eyes. If the poison gets into your eyes, it can cause temporary or permanent blindness and deter a potential attacker to track the spitting cobra on. The poison caused by a bite tissue damage. 94 % of bites occur within human settlements, 82 % of victims are bitten in their sleep.