Cape cobra (Naja nivea)

Short answers

Cape cobra: How big does the enclosure need to be?

From 270×135×135 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, cobras).

Cape cobra: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–30 °C, basking spot 32–36 °C, at night 16–20 °C.

Cape cobra: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB recommended (diurnal, Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4).

Cape cobra: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–20+ years.

Cape cobra: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–30 °C

Night temperature

16–20 °C

Basking spot

32–36 °C

Humidity

40–55 %

UVB

UVB recommended (diurnal, Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4)

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 270×135×135 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, cobras)

Substrate

A sand-loam mix or a peat substitute with sand, diggable; a slightly damp shedding box

Feeding

Food

Rodents (mice or rats), birds, lizards, occasionally other snakes

Feeding interval

adults 1× every 7–14 days, juveniles 1× every 5–7 days

Key facts

Adult size

120–160 cm, rarely up to 180 cm

Life expectancy

15–20+ years

Origin

Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho); dry and steppe regions

Protection status

Highly venomous (neurotoxic) and life-threatening – not listed under CITES; keeping it requires a permit or notification depending on the German state (e.g. Bavaria, Berlin, Hesse), and is effectively prohibited in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. Sort out expertise, a safety plan and access to antivenom.

Brumation

A winter rest from about December to January at 15–18 °C (the southern hemisphere), with a night-time drop possible all year

Cohabitation

Keep singly. Cape cobras regularly eat other snakes, including their own kind – in stomach content studies roughly one prey item in ten was a conspecific. One animal per enclosure is therefore the only safe and stress-free solution, not least because during every task you must know where the cobra is. For breeding, put animals of similar size together only briefly and under supervision.

Notes

Diurnal, often shy and flight-oriented, and it likes to dig. A common keeping mistake: unsafe equipment or opening systems with a very fast, highly venomous species. It climbs and likes to bask up high.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) – Expert
• Indian cobra (Naja naja) – Expert
• Chinese cobra (Naja atra) – Expert
• Indochinese spitting cobra (Naja siamensis) – Expert
• Javan spitting cobra (Naja sputatrix) – Expert
• Monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia) – Expert
• Mozambique spitting cobra (Naja mossambica) – Expert
• Nubian spitting cobra (Naja nubiae) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Cape cobra (Naja nivea) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 270×135×135 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, cobras)), substrate (A sand-loam mix or a peat substitute with sand, diggable; a slightly damp shedding box), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.