Red Spitting Cobra
Naja pallida
A small, brightly colored East African cobra, typically salmon-red or orange with a black throat band.
- Adult length
- 0.7-1.2 m (2.3-4 ft)
- Range
- East Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, Sudan)
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Overview
The red spitting cobra is a relatively small and strikingly colored cobra native to the dry savannas and semi-desert regions of East Africa. Its vivid reddish-orange or salmon-pink coloration, often paired with a black throat band, makes it one of the more visually distinctive African elapids.
It is smaller than other African cobras.
How to identify it
- Smaller than most African cobras, typically 0.7-1.2 m as adults.
- Coloration usually bright red, orange, salmon-pink, or occasionally grayish, often with a dark throat band.
- Smooth scales, moderately broad hood when displayed, round pupils.
- Distinguished from the black-necked spitting cobra chiefly by its smaller size and typically brighter red-orange base color.
Habitat & range
Found in arid and semi-arid savanna, thornbush, and dry scrubland across parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, and Sudan. It shelters in termite mounds, rock crevices, and rodent burrows and is often encountered near water sources in otherwise dry landscapes.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Mostly nocturnal or crepuscular, becoming active at dusk to hunt. When threatened it can spread a hood. Feeds on toads, small mammals, birds, and other reptiles. Reproduction is oviparous, with females laying small clutches of eggs.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the red spitting cobra live?
In dry savanna and semi-desert habitats of East Africa, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Tanzania.
How large does it get?
It is a relatively small cobra, usually reaching 0.7-1.2 m (2.3-4 ft) in length.
Red Spitting Cobra guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Red Spitting Cobra.
