The Mozambique Spitting Cobra is a venomous snake native to the Southern regions of Africa. It is the most common cobra found in the Savannah regions of Southern Africa.
As its name suggests, this cobra spits venom and can hit a target with deadly accuracy from two to three metres away. They are often considered one of the deadliest snakes in Africa.
Mozambique Spitting Cobra Description
The Mozambique Spitting Cobra grows to lengths of around 3 to 4ft. The body of the snake is slate grey or olive brown in color. Their bellies usually have a dirty white coloration.
Some distinctive features of the snake are the black edges to the scales that run along the snake’s body. These black markings are also visible and quite prominent on the upper lip of the snake.
The neck of the Mozambique Spitting Cobra is a Salmon color. They also have bands of black scales that run horizontally across their throat.
Their fangs are specifically designed for spitting venom. They have holes in the front of their fangs pointing forward that allows them to spit or spray venom at distances of up to 2 or 3 meters. They also have large venom glands that store a large quantity of venom.
Mozambique Spitting Cobra Taxonomy
The Mozambique Spitting Cobra belongs to the Elapid family of snakes. This means that they are related to other Elapid species such as Death Adders, Copperheads, Mambas and Coral Snakes.
One of the main differences between Elapids and other venomous snakes such as Vipers are their teeth. Elapids usually have short fangs that are permanently erect and positioned in the front of their mouth.
Many species of Viper have larger fangs that retract into their upper jaw. As these snakes bite, they teeth extend outward so they can bite their prey.
The genus that the Mozambique Spitting Cobra belongs to is called Naja. This is the genus of snake known as Cobras or ‘True Cobras’ which contains species such as the Indian Cobra. They can be found in many parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
There are a number of species of snake that are referred to as Cobras but arent actually ‘True Cobras’. These species include the King Cobra, the Rinkhals and the Tree Cobras.
The Naja genus has undergone a number of changes in recent years and will likely be revised again soon as DNA analysis is carried out on more species. At the latest count, there are 29 species and a further 7 sub-species of snake classified as True Cobras.
Other species in the Naja or True Cobra genus include the Egyptian Cobra, Monocled Cobra and the Caspian Cobra. The scientific name for this snake is N. mossambica and there are currently no recognized sub-species.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Mozambique Spitting Cobra is the most commonly found Cobra in the Savannah regions of Southern Africa. They can be found as far North as Tanzania with their range extending down into the Northern parts of South Africa.
They can be found as far West as the Eastern parts of Namibia and Angola. They can also be found throughout most of Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe as well as parts of Zambia.
They are mostly found in open woodlands, savannah grasslands and rocky hillsides. They are fond of water and are usually found close to a lake, stream or other bodies of water.
They share part of their range with species such as the White Throat Monitor, the Orange Baboon Tarantula and the Pygmy Chameleon.
Mozambique Spitting Cobra Diet
The Mozambique Spitting Cobra has a varied diet and will consume a wide range of prey items. They are known to eat small mammals, amphibians, birds, eggs and even other snakes. Juveniles have also been observed eating the occasional insect.
A Mozambique Spitting Cobra has been observed consuming a snake that was only 25% smaller than itself. They are also known to consume dead carcasses, even if they have already started to decompose.
Mozambique Spitting Cobra Venom
The Mozambique Spitting Cobra is more famous for spitting venom, but they can and will bite and inject venom if they are threatened. The venom yield of this snake ranges from 80 to 200mg with the average being around 140mg.
The lethal dose for an adult human is only about 50mg so a single bite from one of these snakes contains enough venom to kill an adult. These snakes are also known to bite multiple times meaning even more venom can be injected.
Like the majority of elapid snakes, the Mozambique Spitting Cobras venom consists primarily of cytotoxins. Cytotoxic venom can cause extensive tissue damage and lead to necrosis if early treatment isnt administered.
Their venom also contains neurotoxins. If the snake spits venom in your eyes it can cause impaired vision and even blindness. Thanks to the development of anti-venom, fatalities from a Mozambique Spitting Cobra are rare.
The cytotoxins in the venom can immediately cause severe localised pain following a bite. The bite area will often swell, and this swelling can rapidly spread. The area around the bite can start to blister and necrosis can present within a few hours of the bite.
Reproduction
The Mozambique Spitting Cobra generally breeds in the Spring. This usually occurs around April or May. They are an oviparous species, meaning that they lay eggs as opposed to giving live birth. After mating, the eggs will develop in the female and after around 2 months she will lay anything from 10 to 22 eggs. When the hatchlings emerge from the egg they measure around 23-25cm in length.
