A rare gem - Cryptelytrops macrops

[limey]

Slightly off topic, I've read quite a few places, including from yourself, about the high intelligence of cobras and how they are able to solve simple puzzles and actively think for themselves.

I recently watched a vid of Al's (viperkeeper) showing one of his red-spitters being not so bright. He actually stated his red spitter was a bit on the silly side and not too clever.

Do you think this may have just been an exception pertaining to that individual or that it's likely red spitters are not as intelligent as some of the other cobra species?

[Will0W783]

Well limey, just like people, snakes have individual personalities. I know the red spitter Al currently has and she's very shy and reclusive....extremely shy, nervous snakes can panic and then appear to do really stupid stuff. I don't personally keep spitting cobras, so I can't attest to the day-to-day interactions with one.

I can say that my personal experience with cobras is that they are intelligent snakes. I've worked with Al's Egyptian cobra, spectacled cobra, and big black spitter. All were very alert, curious animals that seemed to watch my every move. My own cobra, a monocled cobra, is very clever.

Some interesting anecdotes to give people an idea of what dealing with a clever, cantankerous cobra is like:
Cobras are high energy..they like to have things to explore. Every time I put Shelby back in his cage after cleaning it, he goes to the corners and tests their strength and then he goes around sniffing the cage. I usually put in things for him to move about, like big stones, or resin reptile cage decorations, and he'll push them around and sniff them and examine them. I often see him moving the decorations from one side of the cage to another every few days, as if he's bored and "playing" with them.
He has figured out the weaknesses of a drop-down style door. I have learned not to feed on days when he's up close to the glass being active and pushing on the door. If I feed him when he's in one of these hyper moods, he will lunge at the rat like he's going to take it, but feint to the side at the last second, fold over himself and dart out of the door at the other end of the cage. I then have to quickly drop the food, grab my Gentle Giant tongs, and snatch him up before he gets under anything in the room. It's terrifying to say the least.
He also seems to tell the difference between people....he is generally fine when I'm in the room, unless I've had to catch him in the last few days (he displays full hood, snapping and general grouchiness if this has happened), but if my fiance is in the room with me, he freaks out and charges the door, hissing and hooding and lashing his tail.

So I think that, yes, cobras are quite intelligent, but some individuals more so than others. I doubt that red spitters are less intelligent as a species...some just have silly-seeming quirks or habits. I would not consider a cobra a beginner hot for anyone. There are days when I fear that even I, with training and years of working with quick, agile, aggressive non-vens, may have met my match with Shelby. He's a handful and exhausting.

[limey]

Cool response, thanks!