Mozambique Spitting Cobra
Naja mossambica
The Mozambique spitting cobra (Naja mossambica) is a highly venomous species of spitting cobra in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Africa, and it is found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
From the article Mozambique spitting cobra on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
In colour, Naja mossambica is slate to blue, olive or tawny black above, with some or all scales having black edging. Below, it is salmon pink to purple yellowish, with black bars across the neck and ventrals speckled or edged with brown or black; young specimens sometimes have pink or yellow bars on the throat. The average length of adults is between 90 cm and 105 cm (3–3½ feet), but the largest specimen measured was a male 154 cm (5 feet) long in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Range & habitat
Naja mossambica is the most common cobra of the savanna regions of tropical and subtropical Africa. The distribution includes all of Mozambique; KwaZulu-Natal, as far south as Durban; Mpumalanga's lowveld region; southeastern Tanzania and Pemba Island; and west to far southeastern Angola and northeastern Namibia. Younger specimens are much more frequently encountered in the open at daytime. Unlike the Egyptian Cobra, this species prefers localities near water, to which it will readily take when disturbed.
Wikipedia: “Distribution”
What it does
The diet of Naja mossambica mainly consists of amphibians, other snakes, birds, eggs, small mammals, and occasionally even insects. This cobra has been reported to scavenge and eat carcasses in an advanced stage of decomposition. It has been documented feeding on venomous snakes such as black mambas and has developed immunity to mamba venom.
Wikipedia: “Diet”
Toxicity
Naja mossambica is considered one of the most dangerous snakes in Africa. Its venom is about as toxic as the American Mojave rattlesnake, considered the world's most venomous rattlesnake. Like the rinkhals, it can spit its venom. Its bite causes severe local tissue destruction (similar to that of the puff adder). Venom to the eyes can also cause impaired vision or blindness. The venom of this species contains postsynaptic neurotoxin and cytotoxin. There have been only a few fatalities resulting from bites of this species, and survivors are mostly disfigured. A polyvalent antivenom is currently being developed by the Universidad de Costa Rica's Instituto Clodomiro Picado.
Wikipedia: “Venom”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Naja mossambica in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 30488.