Cape Cobra

Common Name: Cape Cobra

Scientific Name: Naja nivea

Diet: It feeds on a wide spectrum of prey, including other snakes, rodents, lizards, birds, and carrion.

Overview: The Cape cobra is a medium-sized species of cobra. Mature specimens are typically about 1.2 to 1.4 metres long, but may grow up to 1.6 metres (5.2 ft) in length.

Reproduction: The mating season is during the months of September and October, when these snakes may be more aggressive than usual. Females will lay between 8 and 20 eggs (roughly 60 × 25 mm in size) in midsummer (December–January), in a hole or an abandoned termite mound or some other warm, wet location.

Natural Enemies: Predators of Cape cobras include the honey badger (ratel).

Conservation Status and Threats: The preferred habitat of the species is fynbos, bushveld, karoo scrubland, arid savanna, the Namib desert and the Kalahari desert. The Cape cobra is fairly common in South Africa and is found throughout the Western Cape. They’re most active during the day and hide in holes and under large objects. They often come into contact with humans when they slither into homes to escape the heat.