Pseudohaje goldii
Encyclopedia
Pseudohaje goldii or the Gold's Tree Cobra is a species of tree cobra
(Pseudohaje means False Cobra) found in Central and Western Africa. This species is one of the two tree cobras in Africa, the other being the Black Tree Cobra (Pseudohaje nigra). The Gold's Tree Cobra is one of the most venomous snakes and creatures in Africa.
life. The head is small with exceptionally large eyes, giving the snake excellent eyesight. There are usually 15 rows of dorsal scales
on the midbody, though there are rare specimens that have 17 rows.
, Republic of Congo, Gabon
, Ghana
, Cameroon
, and Central African Republic
. It inhabits forests and woodland along rivers and streams. Being an arboreal species, it is seldom found in open land.
hood, though its hood is much narrower than that of the Naja naja
. If it is further provoked, the snake may attempt to bite. Though it cannot spit its venom, its bite is very potent and potentially lethal. It is reputedly ill-tempered. Hence, it has the reputation of being the “mamba
on crack” to show its danger. It may also use its tail spike to defend itself if restrained.
, like most Elapidae
. It is quick acting and extremely potent, easily killing a person. Moreover, there is no known specific antivenom made. Bite symptoms include swelling and stinging pain around the bite wound, numbness of limbs and lip, severe difficulty in breathing, sweating profusely and blurred vision. Victims may die of respiratory failure. A number of people are killed by this species.
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
(Pseudohaje means False Cobra) found in Central and Western Africa. This species is one of the two tree cobras in Africa, the other being the Black Tree Cobra (Pseudohaje nigra). The Gold's Tree Cobra is one of the most venomous snakes and creatures in Africa.
Description
It is one of the largest venomous snakes in Africa, measuring 2.2–2.7 m (7.2–8.9 ft) long. Body color of this species is glossy black and its common name, Gold’s Tree Cobra, comes from its gold-yellow belly and chin. It has a cylindrical body with long, spiky tail, which makes the snake more adaptable to arborealArboreal locomotion
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In every habitat in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may only scale trees occasionally, while others are exclusively arboreal. These habitats pose numerous mechanical challenges to animals...
life. The head is small with exceptionally large eyes, giving the snake excellent eyesight. There are usually 15 rows of dorsal scales
Dorsal scales
In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales.When counting dorsal scales, numbers are often given for three points along the body, for example 19:21:17...
on the midbody, though there are rare specimens that have 17 rows.
Distribution and habitat
It can be found in Central and Western equatorial African countries, including Democratic Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, Republic of Congo, Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, and Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
. It inhabits forests and woodland along rivers and streams. Being an arboreal species, it is seldom found in open land.
Behavior
Despite its large size, it is a highly agile snake. It is equally comfortable on trees, on ground and in the water. It can move quickly and gracefully through trees with the aid of its spiky tail. It is also a very secretive snake which is rarely seen by people. However, it is one of the few snakes that are considered aggressive. When threatened, it rears up and spreads a typical cobraCobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
hood, though its hood is much narrower than that of the Naja naja
Indian Cobra
Indian Cobra or Spectacled Cobra is a species of the genus Naja found in the Indian subcontinent and a member of the "big four", the four species which inflict the most snakebites in India. This snake is revered in Indian mythology and culture, and is often seen with snake charmers...
. If it is further provoked, the snake may attempt to bite. Though it cannot spit its venom, its bite is very potent and potentially lethal. It is reputedly ill-tempered. Hence, it has the reputation of being the “mamba
Mamba
Mambas, of the genus Dendroaspis , are a group of highly venomous, fast-moving land-dwelling snakes of Africa. They belong to the family of Elapidae which includes cobras, coral snakes, taipans, brown snakes, tiger snakes, death adders, kraits and, debatably, sea snakes...
on crack” to show its danger. It may also use its tail spike to defend itself if restrained.
Venom
Its venom is one of the most toxic and deadly of all African snakes. Venom of this species is primarily a neurotoxinNeurotoxicity
Neurotoxicity occurs when the exposure to natural or artificial toxic substances, which are called neurotoxins, alters the normal activity of the nervous system in such a way as to cause damage to nervous tissue. This can eventually disrupt or even kill neurons, key cells that transmit and process...
, like most Elapidae
Elapidae
Elapidae is a family of venomous snakes found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, terrestrially in Asia, Australia, Africa, North America and South America and aquatically in the Pacific and Indian Oceans...
. It is quick acting and extremely potent, easily killing a person. Moreover, there is no known specific antivenom made. Bite symptoms include swelling and stinging pain around the bite wound, numbness of limbs and lip, severe difficulty in breathing, sweating profusely and blurred vision. Victims may die of respiratory failure. A number of people are killed by this species.