The cape cobra has the brightest scales of any cobra, and those vivid colors should send a clear warning-this snake is VERY DANGEROUS. Its venom can kill a person in as little as 10 minutes. The cape cobra lives in one of the hottest areas in the world and is known to sneak into people's homes to cool off. This intrusion can lead to dangerous and deadly encounters.
Warning Shot: If bothered in any way, the cape cobra doesn't hesitate to defend itself. Like all cobras, it flares out a scary-looking hood around its neck when threatened. Plus, the cape cobra's flashy scales should warn enemies that the snake is highly toxic.
Bird Feeder: The cape cobra hunts mostly small mammals and reptiles on the ground, but often slithers up small trees and shrubs. This snake sometimes seeks out a bird's nest and feeds on any eggs, hatchlings or even adult birds it can find.
Dead on Arrival[]
This colorful cobra raises its head and flares its hood when threatened.
The cape cobra injects its venom into victims through small but sharp hollow fangs. The toxins immediately go to work in the victim's body, paralyzing its muscles-including those that control the lungs, so the victim dies of suffocation. Just a drop of this cobra's venom is enough to kill a human. Plus, if the snake makes a strike that hits a vein, the toxins can enter the person's bloodstream immediately. In such cases, an adult can die in as little as 10 minutes!
Freeze! The moment a cape cobra detects the movement of something that isn't prey, the snake rears up in its defensive posture, with its hood flared out. If the enemy stays still for a short while, the cobra will relax and go on its way.
Tribal Wisdom: The Khoikhoi tribe of South Africa knows this snake-and its toxins-well. These native people kill the cape cobra and remove its venom glands, then soak the tips of their arrows in the toxins to make them poisonous.
Cobra Encounters[]
- A cape cobra is in danger of overheating in the hot African sun, so it slithers into the air-conditioned kitchen of a home, making her lunch.
- When the woman turns and sees the snake, she's so startled that she drops her salad. Alerted by the commotion, the cobra rears up with its hood out.
- The woman is frozen with fear for a few seconds, but regains control and tries to run away. The snake sees the movement as a threat, and instinctively strikes at the woman.