The Black Necked Spitting Cobra is native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are a large Cobra who, as their name suggests can ‘spit’ their venom. This is a defensive mechanism as opposed to a hunting tactic.
Taxonomy
The Black Necked Spitting Cobra belongs to the genus Naja. The snakes in this genus are considered the ‘True Cobras’, as opposed to other species such as the King Cobra.
Cobras belong to the Elapid family of snakes which is among the largest families of venomous snakes. The other major venomous snake family is the Viper family.
Some commonly known species in the Elapid family include Copperheads, Mambas and Coral Snakes. A common characteristic among most Elapids is their small non-retractable fangs located in the front of their mouth.
The Naja genus that this species belongs to are considered the ‘True Cobras’. Some of the other snakes in this genus include the Monocled Cobra, Mozambique Spitting Cobra and the Indian Cobra.
Within the genus Naja, the Black Necked Spitting Cobra belongs to a sub-genus of cobras called Afronaja. This is essentially a grouping of the Spitting Cobras within the genus.
The Zebra Spitting Cobra and the Black Spitting Cobra were once considered sub-species of the Black Necked Spitting Cobra but have since been classified as two sub-species of a new species, Naja nigricincta.
Black Necked Spitting Cobra Description
The Black Necked Spitting Cobra is a large Cobra that generally grows to lengths of between 4-7 feet. They have two large venom glands on the side of their head.
The coloration and markings of these snakes can vary greatly depending on locality, but they are generally black or dark grey in color. The belly of these snakes can be red, yellow or grey in color.
While this is the typical color of these snakes, they can vary greatly. Some specimens can be brown or olive green in color while some are even white.
They have a very distinctive black neck band which is what gives these snakes their name. They often have an orange or yellow band under the Black neck band.
They have a large head with bulging cheeks. This is where the venom glands are located. These big glands give the appearance that the snake is puffing out their cheeks.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Black Necked Spitting Cobra can be found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. However, their range does not extend into the Southern part of the continent while they are also absent from the rainforests of the Congo Basin.
In the North, their range extends from the Southern tip of Mauritania in the West, right across the continent to the Southern half of Somalia. In the South, their range extends from the Northern tip of Namibia in the West, across to Tanzania in the East.
Their preferred habitat consists of the savannah and semi-desert regions of the continent. However, they can also be found in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Central Africa.
These snakes are not found at extremely high altitudes but are known to live at altitudes of up to 1,800m. They can usually be found close to a water source such as a river or stream.
These snakes are very adaptable and have learned to thrive in forest clearings, farmlands and plantations.
Behaviour
The Black Necked Spitting Cobra is a species that can be active during the day and at night. These snakes can travel large distances in search of food. They are even known to climb trees.
When threatened, they will assume a typical ‘Cobra Stance’, lifting one third of their body off the ground and staring the threat directly in the eyes. These snakes can spit their venom and will aim directly at the eyes of an ‘attacker’. They will also readily bite if threatened.
Black Necked Spitting Cobra Venom
The venom of the Black Necked Spitting Cobra consiats primarily of cytotoxins. This is a little unusual for an elapid species as most of these snakes venom consists primarily of neurotoxins.
However, their venom does still contain neurotoxins and other toxins such as cardiotoxins. A bite from one of these snakes can lead to severe external hemmorhaging.
Other symptons include tissue necrosis around the area of the bite and in extreme cases where medical attention isn’t available, death can occur usually due to asphyxiation. Thankfully this only occurs in about 5-10% of untreated cases.
Black Necked Spitting Cobra Reproduction
The Black Necked Spitting Cobra is an oviparous species, meaning they lay eggs as opposed to giving live birth. Females can lay anywhere from 8-20 eggs although 12-15 seems to be the average clutch size.
Mating usually occurs after the Winter months. As these snakes are from the Southern Hemisphere, this usually occurs between September and December.
After a gestation period of around 3 months, the female will lay her eggs. The babies will continue to grow in the eggs for another 2 months or so. The newly hatched babies are less than one foot in length and are completely independent from birth.
