Naja kaouthia

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

A young male Monocled Cobra (Naja kaouthia) that ive been currently working with.


http://i56.tinypic.com/2yza7tc.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/2day3ko.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/dziixz.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/29emydz.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/28s7lw9.jpg

[stephanbakir]

Hes a cutie

[Will0W783]

Very cute. Baby cobras are absolutely adorable, but I would never keep one- they're too smart and big....and deadly.

[SkYyaMe1623]

Very cute. Baby cobras are absolutely adorable, but I would never keep one- they're too smart and big....and deadly.
lol but at least it's clear when they're in agression mode

[Will0W783]

It's clear, but they are way too quick. Terrestrial hots scare me way more than arboreal ones. The arboreal ones stay on a hook usually- the terrestrial ones you have to tail and they flop all over.

I had mangroves for a while. They were quick, agile, MEAN buggers...but being semi-arboreal they hung on a hook well and generally weren't a problem once they were hooked and out of the cage. I actually never came close to getting tagged, although they gave a nice threat display. I think the only hots I'd ever consider would be small, arboreal viperids, like eyelash or Wagler's vipers. Even then, it's cause for careful contemplation and training before I'd get one.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

It's clear, but they are way too quick. Terrestrial hots scare me way more than arboreal ones. The arboreal ones stay on a hook usually- the terrestrial ones you have to tail and they flop all over.

I had mangroves for a while. They were quick, agile, MEAN buggers...but being semi-arboreal they hung on a hook well and generally weren't a problem once they were hooked and out of the cage. I actually never came close to getting tagged, although they gave a nice threat display. I think the only hots I'd ever consider would be small, arboreal viperids, like eyelash or Wagler's vipers. Even then, it's cause for careful contemplation and training before I'd get one.

Ive always found terrestrial Vipers to ride hooks very well, some times for extended periods of time. I would never recommend tailing any species of Viper, or any young venomous snake for that matter. I agree with you as i have worked with many species of arboreal vipers and most will grip the hook and hang on. Most any species of Elapid arboreal or not is going to climb that stick.

Also most Naja strikes are at a much slower pace then even the slower striking vipers, alot more inaccurate also. Much of there strikes are mach ones, that never intend to hit unless you stray to close.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

A few more pictures, as i have decided to place this snake under my care for the time being. He received two F/T pinks today.

http://i51.tinypic.com/16jleed.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/esrrlk.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/2hckwhf.jpg

[stephanbakir]

When I got struck by the cobra, he was NOT hooded.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

When I got struck by the cobra, he was NOT hooded.

Ive been struck at by several species of Naja with out hooding up or hooding up right after the strike. Never been hit though, not really even close. You received a bite from this species? or another Cobra?

[shaunyboy]

great pictures of a cute wee hatchling,these guys look beautifull as adults

i look foward to pictures of him growing up

is that a natural piece of stone in the first picture ?

cheers shaun

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

great pictures of a cute wee hatchling,these guys look beautifull as adults

i look foward to pictures of him growing up

is that a natural piece of stone in the first picture ?

cheers shaun


Thank you my friend, i look forward to his aging also. I am blessed to be working with such a magnificent animal. I will continue to post pictures of him and some of the others im currently working with/keeping.

Oh and that stone in the first picture is actually a water bowl. A heavy one at that, but its some sort of acrylic stone.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

http://i51.tinypic.com/27x02dk.jpg


Maybe the third time he has hooded up.
http://i53.tinypic.com/2e0lhr6.jpg

[venom88]

That is a beautiful creature and i have a albino but they are all sweet and deadly i love it

[Kiljosh]

Wow I kinda want one

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

@Venom88 They are, i really like the albinos but some of the other morphs, leucistic, sunset, are also amazing. This snake is actually Het. for albino. I am keeping him till he reaches maturity then i will be giving him to a breeder the person that gave me this snake. These species of cobra reach sexual maturity at around 3-4 years. From all the M. cobra species Ive seen its always been three. Some people have ones that wont reach maturity until 6 years.

@kiljosh I wouldn't recommend it.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

I'll post these pictures of my older kaouthia here. I do still have the younger cobra pictured above but not many updated pictures he still generally looks the same in a still image. The cobra pictured below, i brought here with me about 2 1/2 months ago and do plan on keeping him in a permanent small collection. He is a Lavender at just over 3' long. The lighting in these pictures do not do him justice. In saying he is still much darker then most of his siblings, one of which was sunset.

http://i42.tinypic.com/sywhap.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/219s2fr.jpg

[millertime89]

ignore my request for pictures in that other thread.
Your guy looks awesome.

[Will0W783]

Gorgeous kaouthia! I love the high level of speckling on yours....I finished my training and my mentor cleared me for one, so I now have an albino male. They really are interesting, enjoyable snakes to work with.

[alessia55]

Just read your old posts on this thread Kim... funny how fast things can change, huh?

[lady_bug87]

^^^ haha I thought the same thing!!! Glad though Shelby is super cute

[Will0W783]

It is funny how fast things change....I was being trained by my mentor but thought I would not feel ready soon. Once he cleared me and told me he honestly felt comfortable with me keeping anything that he did, I decided to go for it. The whole process from when I said "I think I would like a baby cobra now" to when I brought Shelby home was a little over a month, during which I spent a lot of time with cobras and had the tank set up and all handling supplies ready before he came home.

[lady_bug87]

hes a cutie too... haha but only to look at pictures.. I couldnt have one in my house they're illegal here anyways

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

They really are interesting, enjoyable snakes to work with.

I agree, naja kaouthia and naja melanoleuca are probably the most rewarding species of snake to work with/keep. IMO

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

I finished my training and my mentor cleared me for one, so I now have an albino male.

forgot to add...

You cant be done training, if you haven't mastered the subject... A subject that can not be mastered. ;)

[Will0W783]

You cant be done training, if you haven't mastered the subject... A subject that can not be mastered

Spoken like a true hots lover...you are absolutely right KD, one can't ever "finish" training for hots. What I meant was that my mentor felt that I was ready to keep one of my own. I still can go to my mentor's for additional work and to put in time helping him clean cages and feed snakes, but my little Shelby provides everyday training for me now. And he keeps me on my toes...he's active, alert, and poops almost constantly, so he needs to be cleaned several times a week.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

Spoken like a true hots lover...you are absolutely right KD, one can't ever "finish" training for hots. What I meant was that my mentor felt that I was ready to keep one of my own. I still can go to my mentor's for additional work and to put in time helping him clean cages and feed snakes, but my little Shelby provides everyday training for me now. And he keeps me on my toes...he's active, alert, and poops almost constantly, so he needs to be cleaned several times a week.


hahah i knew what you meant, i understand you were not implying that you were "done" training. Hence the ;) face... just pulling your leg. :)

I do recommend you continue to work with your mentor, he/she may not always be your mentor, eventually just a friend with common interest's.

Also i understand you have quite a large collection of snakes (hot or not) so im sure alot of your time is constantly back in forth between them all... Im going to lay this out there just for you to think about.. Have you considered reducing your collection of non venomous? This in return will reduce the stress/haste put on you by taking care of such a diverse collection. What im implying is less stress and more time on your hands will make you a more effective venomous snake keeper. ( Please understand im not implying you are doing anything wrong) Again your collection of animals may not even burden you but from my point of view it subconsciously would add alot of stress in my life. Like i said just putting that out there, not implying you should do anything...

I do however STRONGLY recommend you build yourself a trap box for Shelby if you haven't already... There is absolutely ZERO reason to hook a cobra every time you need to clean. It will GREATLY reduce stress on BOTH you and him. It is the most effective way to safely keep any species of elapid. As im sure you've already found out, its not fun hook and tailing young cobras. Also it will give you more time to work with your other animals as well. :)

[Will0W783]

Thanks for all the advice...I am planning to build a trap box for Shelby. I have several adult-size boxes, and was trying to figure out the best way to build a small one for him now that would fit in an appropriately sized cage for him. He is actually not as bad on the hook as my mentor's were...he hooks and tails every time and doesn't use trap boxes at all. I prefer to keep as safe as possible, so boxes are welcome!

I have actually reduced my overall number of snakes by several dozen over the past year. I knew that by getting into hots, I could not have massive numbers of snakes, because the hots require more work and attention. I find that the number I have now is quite manageable, but I am not opposed to selling or rehoming a few more if the right offers come along.

Can you direct me to any designs for building a safe and strong trap box for a juvenile elapid? I have Boamaster's wooden boxes- one for my rattler and one not in use right now, which will be used when Shelby is older...but it's as large as his current cage is.

[jarich]

Thats a beautiful cobra man. Is that a live plant you have in the enclosure?

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

Kimberly you have an exceptional attitude towards this. I enjoy talking to knowledgeable people that are level headed and can take advice with out perceiving it as incoming threats to there self esteem...


Can you direct me to any designs for building a safe and strong trap box for a juvenile elapid? .

Because there are not any "real" commercially made shift boxes, designing one is just a personalized opinion. The only real debate that takes place is over the mechanism used to open and close the box. Each option has its own use, i personally use a swing door instead of a sliding door for two reasons. 1. Its easy to construct. 2. I use loose substrate which can in fact get caught in the tracks of a sliding door, rendering it useless. I also choose as small as a box as possible to give the feeling of a tighter space, which will actually (in my well observed opinion) decrease the chance of your snake relieving ;) him/herself in the box. Also tighter spaces make the majority of animals feel more secure. One other note about design, i usually go for a plexi glass or lexan door for visibility while the animal is stowed away... As for the frame of the box, your options are unlimited, just use good judgment on what appears safe. Commercially made birdhouses can easily be constructed into very effective trap boxes, like the one pictured above. Hope this helps!:)


@jarich: Thank you, and to answer your question, no that isnt a live plant. Its actually recommended not to use live plants in enclosures containing venomous snakes.. For obvious reasons. I prefer cages as clutter free as possible, but the small plant in the back isn't a problem, im sure it adds a sense of security for him.

[Will0W783]

Thanks KD! I really appreciate all the information. I do try to keep my natural defensiveness down, especially when it comes to hots, as I am fairly new to the world of keeping them. One can never tell when a bit of advice could be life-saving in the future, so it's best to keep an open mind and heart!

[Norm66]

This is a very interesting thread, thanks for letting us non-hot types observe. ;^)

While I have no intention of ever working with venemous reptiles it sure is interesting to read about and learn a bit from those who do. It's kind of like listening to experienced professional touring/recording musicians when I'm just a weekend warrior bar band kind of guy. Thanks for the insight.

[KD35WIN.AS.ONE]

This is a very interesting thread, thanks for letting us non-hot types observe. ;^)

While I have no intention of ever working with venemous reptiles it sure is interesting to read about and learn a bit from those who do. It's kind of like listening to experienced professional touring/recording musicians when I'm just a weekend warrior bar band kind of guy. Thanks for the insight.


Your welcome... I post here to share a passion of mine with others who share that same passion. At the same time i post to give a small insight to outsiders looking in on the SAFE keeping of venomous reptiles... All the while i NEVER promote/encourage the keeping any venomous reptile under any circumstances...

Glad this thread was of interest to you.

[shaunyboy]

although i love the look of cobra's and vipers,i would NEVER trust myself to keep them

i'm too laid back and lackadaisical for that :yes:

but i do love reading all the hot keepers threads on here

cheers shaun