Cobra idenitfication needed

Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby drewster777 » Wed Mar 18, 2015 8:19 pm

I live in Mooi River area of Natal,

on 3 occasions we have seen a cobra of under 1000mm - what is for me interesting is that when it raises its head it hood underneath is very orange - not light orange but a rich orange and very noticeable, the body gets to a much richer darker orange as you get towards the tail, there was no black band towards the tip of the snakes head, I have Googled to try find out what it could be but none look as rich an orange on the inside of the hood

any ideas ?

I will try get a photo over the next few days as it/they have been sighted 3 times in under a week - and within 200 meters of each other

thanks

andrew
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Re: Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby Sico » Wed Mar 18, 2015 8:39 pm

You get a banded variant of the Rinkhals, which is common in your area and they are reddish-orange with black bands. Google images and you should find some. That would be my first guess based on your locale and general description (size, colour, behaviour). The snouted cobra's can also be a reddish brown colour but I'd not use "orange" to describe any I am aware of.
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Re: Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby drewster777 » Wed Mar 18, 2015 10:32 pm

Thanks Mark

I will try get a photo - we have a photo of it on the ground - not raised - and then it looks very much like a Mozambique cobra
the hood was very distinctly orange and the hood had no band or markings - just a strong orange color - looks like a cape cobra or Snouted Cobra

it is not scared of much and seams to like hanging out on the road or just off it - i will try get a photo or 2 and post it here

regards

Andrew
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Re: Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby Bushviper » Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:28 am

Very few people are aware of this and I never bothered to photograph the ones I got but we had a person living in Utrecht who would regularly catch Cape cobras. That is hundreds of kilometers from its nearest recorded locality. I received at least 3 snakes over a period of a year from this person and then my contact moved and that was the last I saw of them.

Snouted cobras are recorded from a few areas near there so that would be the next choice.

Please get a photo of the next one you see.
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Re: Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby reptile » Thu Mar 19, 2015 5:02 pm

Mozambique Spitting cobra?
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Re: Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby drewster777 » Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:44 pm

ok finally got a photo

sorry about the resolution - i will try get better photo

Andrew
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Re: Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby Chopper 1 » Fri Mar 20, 2015 7:05 am

drewster777 wrote:ok finally got a photo

sorry about the resolution - i will try get better photo

Andrew


That is a typical natal midlands rinkhals!! Awesome snakes.
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Re: Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby drewster777 » Fri Mar 20, 2015 1:33 pm

I googled rinkhal and looked through page after page of rinkhal images - the cobra we saw had dark yellow/orange(dark) body - with no bands or other markings - the head was the only place where black was
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Re: Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby Sico » Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:00 pm

Yip, Rinkhals. The only "cobra" tyoe snake that will have a black face and other coloured body round those parts.
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Re: Cobra idenitfication needed

Postby drewster777 » Mon Mar 23, 2015 8:44 am

cool thanks guys - If i get a closer encounter i will update the photo


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