# show me your cobras :)



## omen (Sep 26, 2011)

hi everyone i am very interested in cobras and would love to keep and breed them in the future and i would love to see your pictures of the, your stories about keeping them, any tips e.t.c thanks. xx


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## omen (Sep 26, 2011)

does anyone have any cobras? x


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## gray1 (May 24, 2010)

There's a couple of people on here with them but not many I think. You won't find too many people with such a death wish, even amongst some of the DWA hardcore :lol2:


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## omen (Sep 26, 2011)

thanks i started this thread because i am very interested in them and there isnt much about them anywere and i would love to keap monocled cobras one day (along with alot more killy bitey things) x


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## DavidR (Mar 19, 2008)

omen said:


> does anyone have any cobras?


People certainly do. Here are a few photos I have.

Pakistani spectacled cobra (adult and hatchling).



























Not a true cobra, but cool none the less.


















Same snake +1 year.


















An adult male.


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## ljkenny (Mar 5, 2007)




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## omen (Sep 26, 2011)

ljkenny said:


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wow loving the collection, do you breed them? also what are they like to keap? x


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## ljkenny (Mar 5, 2007)

omen said:


> wow loving the collection, do you breed them? also what are they like to keap? x


I have pair of N. naja (Sri Lanka), but they're not together. I also have a pair of N. annulifera; however, I think they're one season too young for breeding. The latter pair have been 'practising', but it won't come to anything. To be honest, there's not much consumer interest for Naja, as I'm sure you can imagine, so I'm in no rush to produce them.

They're great to keep if you know what you're doing. They are some of my favourite and therefore ultimate snakes to keep. However, I don't have to go into the dangers of keep them on here do I? These guys are always up for a fight and will readily bite if you are silly enough to get within strike range. 

There are several key attributes to keeping anything like these. The most important of these are knowledge and experience. Before taking one of these guys home you need to have *many* hours of handling experience using the correct tools. Start with something that will allow you to make mistakes (something non-venomous), but equally as feisty. Once hooks become nothing more than an appendage of your own limbs, then go and do some mentoring with someone who has *lots* of experience and bleed them dry. Let them teach you all everything there is to know, then ask questions about every intricate detail. Remember, "someone who asks a question may look like a fool for a minute, but someone who does not ask remains a fool forever." You can keep that one.  Some other key attributes are; patience, sometimes the snake just won't want to co-operate and it may take some time before you manipulate it into a decent position for hooking - keep your cool until it starts to 'play along'; maturity, never show off and never stray out of your comfort zone without a mentor's guidance; self discipline, stick to the rules - don't do anything with venomous if you have *any* alcohol in your system, if there's no one else around (in case of a bite), if you're tired or under the weather etc etc.

I could go on, but most of this has been said before and would be covered in great detail by any half decent mentor.


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## dunny1 (Feb 2, 2009)

Naja kaouthia and Naja pallida.


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## coldestblood (Jun 4, 2011)

dunny1 said:


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The red spitter is amazing. Never had to deal with one of them before. Give it a year or so, and I may look for one.

Whats your experience with them as a keeper?


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## dunny1 (Feb 2, 2009)

he's good mate never spat at me yet that doesnt mean he wont though. pretty much straight forward to keep. eats like a horse to everytime appart from when in shed. mostly active by night to so I tend to work with him during the day. my ones fairly laid back easy to work with not to much of a pain on the hook. a fantastic species in my eyes great to keep and beautifull


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## omen (Sep 26, 2011)

dunny1 said:


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monacles are my faverite and im correct in thinking thats a red spitting? what precoutions do u have to take whith them? xx


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## dunny1 (Feb 2, 2009)

hey mate yeah its a red spitter. precaution wise more or less the same as for any hot. appart from full face protection is a must. if you have any open wounds on your hands wear gloves. or any other open wound make sure its covered. im on about small wounds if it was a massive wound then you should be resting.


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## omen (Sep 26, 2011)

dunny1 said:


> hey mate yeah its a red spitter. precaution wise more or less the same as for any hot. appart from full face protection is a must. if you have any open wounds on your hands wear gloves. or any other open wound make sure its covered. im on about small wounds if it was a massive wound then you should be resting.


full face protection like a clear welders mask thing, im not sure of there actual name tho xx


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## dunny1 (Feb 2, 2009)

yeah clear full face visor to prevent venom entering the eyes nose or mouth. my boys never spat at me yet but theres always a first. so visors worn at all times better safe than sorry.


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## Merritt87 (Aug 10, 2011)

how venomous are these cobras? what wud happen if u did get bit?
ed


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## Razorscale (Feb 22, 2010)

Merritt87 said:


> how venomous are these cobras? what wud happen if u did get bit?
> ed


Get anti-venom or die painfully .


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## Merritt87 (Aug 10, 2011)

what it reli is that simple? how long deos it take to have effect? 
ed


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## dunny1 (Feb 2, 2009)

it depends on how your body reacts to the venom. without antivenin though not a good outcome


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## Razorscale (Feb 22, 2010)

And just remeber just because its a spitting cobra it still bites, ive being asked that question before even though i dont have one.

And a recently death by a spitting cobra was in South Africa, a friend of a friend, you mite have heard about this already but the cobra spat at him and got him in the eye's and that killed him, which is i havent heard of until this incident. 
Always a shame when someone in the hobbie goes R.I.P


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## dunny1 (Feb 2, 2009)

yeah I heard about that I had the guy on facebook. it shows never to underestimate what these snakes are capable of. safety always has to come first


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## DavidR (Mar 19, 2008)

Razorscale said:


> And a recently death by a spitting cobra was in South Africa, a friend of a friend, you mite have heard about this already but the cobra spat at him and got him in the eye's and that killed him, which is i havent heard of until this incident.


This incident (and a number of others this year) highlighted the importance of taking precautions against venom hypersensitivity/anaphylaxis. All private venomous keepers should take steps to avoid contact with venom, but especially people with spitting cobras. Use of particulate face masks is a good idea, Epi-pens should be on hand and you must know when and how to use them. 

David.


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## omen (Sep 26, 2011)

can we see some set up pictures? x


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