How to Identify the Red Spitting Cobra (Identification Guide)
A striking reddish-orange venomous African cobra identified by its vivid coloring, dark throat band, and hooded defensive display.
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Key identifying features
The Red Spitting Cobra (Naja pallida) is a medium-sized, highly venomous elapid found in East Africa. It is identified by its distinctive bright reddish, orange, or salmon-pink coloration, a feature that sets it apart from most other African cobras, along with the characteristic hood-spreading defensive display shared by cobras and the ability to spit venom when threatened.
Coloration & pattern
This species is typically a vivid orange-red, salmon-pink, or coral-red along the back, sometimes with a grayish or yellowish tinge in certain populations. A dark, often black band crosses the throat, usually bordered by a lighter band above and below it, creating a distinctive throat marking visible when the cobra raises its hood. The belly is generally paler, cream to pinkish, sometimes with dark blotches near the throat.
Head, eyes & scales
The head is broad and rounded, only slightly distinct from the neck when the hood is not spread. Eyes are moderate in size with round pupils. Like other cobras, this species can raise the front portion of its body and flatten its neck into a hood as a warning display, often accompanied by hissing, and it is capable of accurately spraying venom toward perceived threats from a distance. Scales are smooth.
Size & body shape
The Red Spitting Cobra is a moderately sized cobra, with adults typically reaching 1 to 1.5 meters, making it somewhat smaller than the Black-Necked Spitting Cobra. The body is slender to moderately built, cylindrical, with a neck capable of significant expansion during defensive hooding.
Range & habitat where you'll see it
This species is found in arid and semi-arid regions of East Africa, including parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and surrounding areas. It favors dry savanna, scrubland, and semi-desert habitats, often near termite mounds or rocky outcrops used for shelter, and is active mainly at dusk and during the cooler parts of the day.
How to tell it apart from look-alikes
Its vivid orange-red to salmon coloration is the most distinctive feature separating it from other African cobras, which tend to be darker or more olive-toned. The dark throat band bordered by lighter bands is also a useful identification cue. Careful attention to geographic range within East Africa's arid zones further helps distinguish it from the darker Black-Necked Spitting Cobra and other regional cobra species.
Frequently asked questions
What color is the Red Spitting Cobra?
It is typically a vivid orange-red, salmon-pink, or coral-red, which distinguishes it from most other, darker African cobras.
How does it defend itself?
It raises the front of its body, spreads a hood, hisses, and can accurately spray venom toward a threat's eyes from a distance.
How big does the Red Spitting Cobra get?
Adults typically reach 1 to 1.5 meters in length.
Where does this cobra live?
It inhabits arid and semi-arid savanna, scrubland, and semi-desert regions of East Africa.
How can you tell it apart from the Black-Necked Spitting Cobra?
Its bright orange-red to salmon coloring is much more vivid than the darker olive or blackish tones typical of the Black-Necked Spitting Cobra.