**BEAWARE ITS A SNAKE SEASON**

DUE TO THE HEATWAVE AND HIGH TEMPERATURES CURRENTLY IN NIGERIA, SNAKES, ESPECIALLY COBRAS, SEEK REFUGE IN COOLER PLACES LIKE INSIDE HOMES

Cobra Facts

Cobra Cobras are large and diverse group of venomous snakes. There are 270 different types of cobras. They live in tropical areas of Africa, Asia and Australia, usually in forests and areas near river. Largest cobra, King Cobra, is on the list of endangered species because of the habitat loss.
Interesting Cobra Facts:
Smallest species of cobra, Mozambique spitting cobra, is 4 feet long. Largest species is King Cobra. It weighs around 13 pounds and has 18 feet in length.
They can be green, brown, dark brown in color.
Cobra is famous for its hood, which is a flap of skin that can be spread when snake feels angry or threatened. Hood can scare predators and chase them away.
Snake charmers in Burma use cobras to entertain audience. Cobra respond well to visual stimulus and can be "trained" to show hood when it rise from the bag. Snake charmers remove venomous teeth to prevent bites. This tradition is illegal and inhumane for snakes.
Cobras produce large amount of venom. With just one bite, cobra can kill large elephant or 10-15 adult humans. Venomous fangs have half an inch in length.
Spitting cobras can spit their venom with incredible accuracy. They can align with predator's head and deliver venom right into eyes.
Antidote (substance that can reverse effect of the venom) is made of the same venom that induces intoxication.
Cobras eat lizards, frogs, birds, mammals, fish and other snakes.
They have excellent night vision and sense of smell, which they use to detect prey. Sense of smell is located on the tongue.
Their metabolism is very slow, so they need to eat every couple of months.
Like other snakes, they swallow their prey whole.
Group of cobras is called "quiver".
Cobras are the only snakes that show at least some sort of parental behavior. They build nest for their eggs and guard them until they hatch.
Females lay between 20-40 eggs. Incubation time (time until they hatch) lasts between 60-80 days.
Cobras live 20 years in the wild. They might live longer in captivity.
Source: http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/cobra_facts/47/

Green Mamba Snake

The green mamba snake, which is also known as Dendroaspis viridis, is glossy grass-green in color with light bright green underside and averages 1.8 meters or 5.9 feet in length. The longest green mamba snake recorded was 3.7 meters or 12 feet in length. The green mamba snake lives in the forests of southeastern African near the coast stretching from the Eastern Cape in South Africa through Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Southern Malawi and Eastern Zimbabwe. This venomous snake can be found living in the trees of the African forest and is rarely ever found on the forest ground unless following prey or basking.
Unlike the black mamba snake, the green mamba snake is shy and non-aggressive. The green mama usually will swiftly make a get away if it feels threatened unless it is continuously being provoked. Like the black mamba, they will flatten their necks into a narrow hood as a defensive posture. The green mamba’s venom contains calcicludine, dendrotoxin, and other neurotoxins, which is similar to the black mamba’s venom. Even though the green mamba and the black mamba share the same venom, the green mamba’s venom is one-tenth as toxic as the black mamba and the amount injected is generally less due to the snakes size. The green mamba’s prey consists of adult and juvenile birds, birds’ eggs, and small mammals. Green mambas usually stay in the trees unless they are looking for food. Young green mambas usually eat other reptiles such as chameleons and other small lizards.
Green mamba males are known to engage in combat for mating rights, similar to the combat practiced by male king cobras. The combat involves wrestling matches, with snakes twisting and pushing each other to the ground, which may last several hours. Combat does not usually include biting. The female green mamba lays around 6-17 eggs during the summer months. The eggs are usually laid in a hollow tree among decaying vegetation. Hatchlings measure between 35 and 45 cm (13 to 18 inches) and are venomous from birth.
Source: http://greenmambasnake.com

SAFETY TIPS

1. Avoid leaving windows open for too long. Cobras and Mambas can reach heights that are very high.

2. Avoid leaving your front doors open for fresh air in the evenings. These reptiles are absolutely STEALTHY (too quiet). You won't hear or see them go inside your house.

3 Before sitting under the tree that has that cooling shade, check the branches that there are no snakes lurking in the branches.

1. Check your bed and surrounding before you go to bed, cobras are notorious for hiding under the sheets.
   

2. Avoid the age old trend of liking to chill outside of the house, with mattresses and wrappers in the evening. Most reptiles are nocturnal (hunt at night and more effective)

3. Not only snakes might bite you, but also the age old human enemy; the centipede (Mosithaphala), which is fast and very venomous.

4. Clear bushes round your house. They attract rats and mice which are the favourite snacks of the most dangerous snake’s favorite meal.

5. Buy snake repellent powder and pour it round your yard. You will definitely decrease the chances of a snake ever visiting your home by 90%.

Beware of confronting snakes that get into your homes. Some snakes can be killed easily, others like the black mamba are very cocky. If threatened, they will chase you at an alarming speed and give multiple bites while still on the chase; and bitten victims may not live to see the next forty minutes. So, just be very careful when trying to kill those snakes.

Stay well and be safe. It's snake season. It's very hot and they are highly active and get agitated and angry very fast.

Keep sharing as you may be saving lives.

Please do have a wonderful day!!!

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