![]() This species consists of a reddish brown, maroon body and a light brown belly that is aligned with 23 – 27 midbody dorsal scale rows. The geographical distribution of the snake is dominant in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea, southern Mauritius and Senegal. Found exclusively in western Africa, the species prefers a semi-dessert habitat and is also a terrestrial occupant of the Savannah grasslands. This species, commonly known as the Mali cobra, is a moderately sized snake that reaches an average length of 0.4 – 1 m (1.6 – 3.3 ft). The species is a large sized cobra that hunts small mammals, birds and several reports witnessed the species swallowing a two-foot monitor lizard and a five-foot puff adder. The large brown spitting cobra that has been named after James Ashe, founder of the Bio-Ken snake farm located in Watamu along the Kenyan coast. This species is an aggressive snake that takes shelter in animal burrows and piles of vegetative debris. The species is distributed in northeastern and eastern Africa occupying the dry lowlands of eastern and northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia and northeastern Uganda. It consists of 17 – 25 mid-body scale rows, 51 – 69 subcaudal scale rows and 176 – 219 ventral scale rows. The species might show slight speckles or blotches on its upper body with a dark brown throat. This spitting cobra is heavily built and showcases various coloring patterns right from pale mustard to dark brown. The average length of this species varies between 1.5 – 2.2 m (4.9 – 7.2 ft) although the largest specimen caught till date in Kenya measured 2.7 m (8.9 ft) in length. The Ashe’s spitting cobra is the world’s largest spitting cobra found in Africa and is also commonly referred to as the ‘giant spitting cobra’. Naja samarensis & Naja siamensis: 13 - 19 eggsĪfrican Spitting Cobra – Physiology, Habitat & Diet. ![]() Naja mossambica & Naja nigricincta: 10 - 22 eggs.Naja ashei, Naja philippinensis & Naja sumatrana: 10 - 20 eggs.During such period the female spitting cobra is highly aggressive, territorial and protective. The incubation period of a typical female spitting cobra lasts for 70 – 90 days on average. Asian spitting cobras generally mate during the dry season which is means in the months of August to October. In unusual cases like the Red spitting cobra, the breeding season takes place in April. The common period during which mating takes place is either at start of the dry season or early winters like in the case of the Black necked spitting cobra that breeds between September and December. The breeding season can take place any time of the year depending upon the particular species. Spitting cobras briefly meet during the mating season and during the mating ritual the male tries to dominate its partner by pushing down the female using its hood. They are oviparous which means that they lay eggs either inside burrows or create a nest made from fallen debris and vegetative scraps. Reproduction Depending upon a variety of factors, for example climatic conditions, geographical distribution and presence of abandoned burrows, spitting cobras can reproduce just like any other cobra in the Naja genus.
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