Cape cobra

Cape cobra
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Naja
Subgenus:	Uraeus
Species:	N. nivea
Binomial name
Naja nivea (Linnaeus, 1758)[2]
distribution
Synonyms[3]
Coluber niveus Linnaeus, 1758 Vipera (Echidna) flava Merrem, 1820 Naja nivea — Boie, 1827 Naja gutturalis A. Smith, 1838 Naja intermixta A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854 Naja haje var. capensis Jan, 1863 Naia flava — Boulenger, 1887 Naja flava — Sternfeld, 1910 Naja nivea — FitzSimons & Brain, 1958 Naja nivea — Harding & Welch, 1980 Naja nivea — Auerbach, 1987 Naja nivea — Welch, 1994 Naja (Uraeus) nivea — Wallach, 2009

The Cape cobra (Naja nivea), also called the yellow cobra, is a moderate-sized, highly venomous species of cobra inhabiting a wide variety of biomes across southern Africa, including arid savanna, fynbos, bushveld, desert, and semidesert regions.

The species is diurnal and is a feeding generalist, preying on a number of different species and carrion. Predators of this species include birds of prey, honey badgers, and various species of mongooses. The Cape cobra is also known as the geelslang (yellow snake) and bruinkapel (brown cobra) in South Africa. Afrikaans-speaking South Africans also refer to the Cape cobra as koperkapel (copper cobra), mainly because of a rich yellow colour variation. This species has no known subspecies.