Chinese Cobra
Naja atra • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Elapidae, Subfamily: Elapinae, Genus: Naja, Species: Naja atra
Southeastern China (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan), northern Vietnam, and Laos.
Look up Chinese Cobra in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Venomous; Proteroglyphous (fixed front fangs).
Danger Level
Extremely Dangerous. Bites are life-threatening medical emergencies. This species is responsible for many snakebite incidents in Hong Kong and China due to its proximity to humans.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Elapidae, Subfamily: Elapinae, Genus: Naja, Species: Naja atra
Conservation
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List) due to over-collection for the food and traditional medicine trades, as well as habitat loss.
Physical Description
The specimen displays the characteristic iridescent black/grey dorsal scales and a white/pale ventral surface. The 'spectacle' or 'mask' pattern is clearly visible on the dorsal side of the neck hood. The head is broad and distinctive, with large eyes and round pupils.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen appears to be an adult, approximately 1.2 to 1.5 meters. Adults typically range from 1.2 to 1.5 meters, with a maximum recorded length of about 2 meters.
Habitat
Highly adaptable. Found in woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, and agricultural areas. Frequently dwells near human habitation, including gardens, parks, and roadside gutters from sea level up to 2,000 meters.
Behavior & Temperament
Diurnal and nocturnal (primarily crepuscular). Though generally avoidant, it is highly defensive when cornered, raising the front of its body, spreading its hood, and hissing loudly. It is capable of striking repeatedly.
Diet & Feeding
Generalist carnivore. Common prey includes rodents, frogs, toads, lizards, and other snakes. It uses a combination of active foraging and envenomation.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females typically lay 6 to 25 eggs between May and August. The female may guard the eggs until they hatch.
Venom Profile
Highly potent cocktail of postsynaptic neurotoxins and cardiotoxins, with significant necrotic (cytotoxic) effects causing local tissue death.
Look-alikes
King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) which is much larger with distinct chevrons; Indo-Chinese Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosa) which lacks the hood and has larger eyes; Greater Black Krait (Bungarus niger) which has hexagonal vertebral scales and no hood.
Conservation Status
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List) due to over-collection for the food and traditional medicine trades, as well as habitat loss.
Cultural Significance
A significant species in traditional Chinese medicine and cuisine. It plays a vital ecological role in controlling rodent populations in urban and rural fringes.
Notable Features
Known for its 'mask' or 'O' shaped mark on the hood. Unlike its spitting cobra relatives, Naja atra rarely spits venom, but some individuals have been observed to exhibit this behavior.
Notes
Roadside gutter Hong Kong