Coral & Shield Cobras

Coral Cobras & Shield Cobras are also known as Coral Snakes & Shield-nose snakes.

CLASSIFICATION:

These snakes belong to the generic group called Aspidelaps, which in turn belongs to the family Elapidae. The Elapidae family also includes Mambas, Cobras, Sea snakes, etc.

SPECIES:

The Aspidelaps groups comprises of 2 species – Coral Cobras & Shield Cobras. Each of these species has sub-species, they are:

Coral Cobras

Cape Coral Cobra – Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus
Kunene Coral Cobra – Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi

Shield Cobras

Speckled Shield Cobra – Aspidelaps scutatus scutatus
Intermediate Shield Cobra – Aspidelaps scutatus intermedius
Eastern Shield Cobra – Aspidelaps scutatus fulafula

DESCRIPTION:

Coral & Shield Cobras are small snakes that don’t grow longer than 1 meter. They have banded or blotched patterns. The neck and head often have bolder markings which are especially noticeable when they lift up the head to spread a hood. The hood is like that of a cobras hood, but not as wide. These snakes have an enlarged rostral scale on the snout which assists them in burrowing, and this enlarged scale is quite obvious in Shield Cobras.

Shield Cobras are generally thick and short in appearance, whereas Coral Cobras are more slender.

HABITS & BEHAVIOUR:

Coral & Shield Cobras are nocturnal predators that are semi-fossorial (living partly underground) and are quite adept at digging and burrowing through loose sand and soil. They become more active after rains. They prey on small mammals, other reptiles including snakes, and amphibians.

Coral & Shield Cobras are quick to stand their ground and put on quite a show of rearing up, hissing and striking repetitively.

DANGER & VENOM:

Coral & Shield Cobras are venomous and potentially dangerous. The venom is Neurotoxic. Bites are not common at all, known bites have been mainly on snake catchers.

The venom of the Namibian coral cobra Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi is as potent as the venom of the black mamba – the quantity is just smaller but a number of fatal bites have been recorded in children and one recorded death in an adult. Treatment must be symptomatic and there is no antivenom made for these snakes.

DISTRIBUTION:

Cape Coral Cobra – Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus

The Cape Coral Cobra ranges from southern Namibia, through Namaqualand, then southward to near Cape Town. The distribution then continues eastward across most of the Cape provinces (not in the Kalahari regions), just entering the extreme south-west regions of the Free State.

Kunene Coral Cobra – Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi

The Kunene Coral Cobra is found over most of northern Namibia, as far south as Keetmanshoop. The distribution continues into Angola.

Speckled Shield Cobra – Aspidelaps scutatus scutatus

The Speckled Shield Cobra ranges from northern Namibia east through most of Botswana and entering South Africa in the Kalahari regions of the Northern Cape, North-West and Limpopo provinces.

Intermediate Shield Cobra – Aspidelaps scutatus intermedius

The Intermediate Shield Cobra is found in the eastern Limpopo province, eastern Mpumalanga and Eswatini.

Eastern Shield Cobra – Aspidelaps scutatus fulafula

The Eastern Shield Cobra is found from south-eastern Zimbabwe, though Southern Mozambique and just enters South Africa in the far north-east of KZN.