Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
As was said previously, I wouldnt start off with any African Naja. The olny ones that are manageable spit and I dont feel spitters are a good first cobra at all for obvious reasons.

Regarding Aspidelaps, or should I say regarding Aspidelaps lubricus ssp (Aspidelaps scutatus in no way shape or form resemble Naja. The act more like a hognose snake then anything else)these guys are not good at all for cobra experince. Though they give ya a hood occasionly, they are extreamly small and about the biggest bluffers the world has evers seen!!! They also tend to strike more like a tiger snake or somthing from oz. My Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus form a weird hooded s necked stance, that is slightly elevated and not really too cobra like. Though they do do the typical stance from time to time, A.l.infuscatus is much more reliable for this. Anyway, yeah, their not to good for prepareing ya. Their to small to practise hooking and tailing (though I employ this method on all of my adults)and arent likely to stand their ground. They tend to flee more then anything else and most Naja will do the oppisite when pressed in close corners (Especially Naja haje, annulifera and melenoluca)

If I had to pick a sp or 2 I would probally recomend either Naja naja or Naja kaouthia. These guys dont spit (kaouthia has a slight ability to do so but I have yet to see it in any of mine)and generaly stand their ground as opposed to chargeing or spitting. They will give ya a run for your money from time to time but generaly just hood up and try to bluff ya down. The trade off hear in toxcicty. These guys may be more easy to handle but are easily some of the hottest Naja sp. Both have venoms which contain hemos and neuros and can really screw you up or even kill ya!

Now with all that being said, the best first Naja is still somone elses. Getting one without proper experince, like certin others I know, is not a wise move and is stupid IMHO. They really are a different beast and one should have atleast some supervised handleing experince before purchaseing one of their own.

Welp, I hope this helps ya out. BTW, ignore what was said in other post regarding Naja siamensis. Though they do average kinda smallish, compared to Africans I guess, they cane get pover 6ft and some individuals spit like theres no tomorrow!! My freind has a female that will fly up to the glass of its cage when you walk by and start nawing and spitting at teh same time trying to kill you!!! Others just stand their ground like a staionary water hose. Their venom is similar to the other Asiatic cobras I mentioned and these guy just dont make good starters. Also, most of the smaller Asian spitters are the same. Very runny, bitey and spitty in my experince, especially N.sumatra!!! N.sputatrix can be kinda laid back but again, some get nutts. Its better off that you have somthing that wont shoot you in the eyes first.

Best of luck in your quest,
Jeremy

P.S The one thing in captivity that makes Naja sp so freaken dangerous is their feeding response!! Some sp, notoriously N.nigricolis and N.haje/annulifera come flying out after any movment when they smell food in the room and many keepers freinds of mine have had specimens chase them several feet before they relized humans wernt food. Kaouthia can be horrible as well. Actually, they are all extreamly dangerous in this regard so be forwarned!!!

wonder why it posted up here? Hmmmm?

J

>>Welp, I hope this helps ya out. BTW, ignore what was said in other post regarding Naja siamensis. Though they do average kinda smallish, compared to Africans I guess, they cane get pover 6ft and some individuals spit like theres no tomorrow!! My freind has a female that will fly up to the glass of its cage when you walk by and start nawing and spitting at teh same time trying to kill you!!! Others just stand their ground like a staionary water hose. Their venom is similar to the other Asiatic cobras I mentioned and these guy just dont make good starters. Also, most of the smaller Asian spitters are the same. Very runny, bitey and spitty in my experince, especially N.sumatra!!! N.sputatrix can be kinda laid back but again, some get nutts. Its better off that you have somthing that wont shoot you in the eyes first.

Just like your friend that has a siamensis that is kind of nutso, I have a juvenile N. naja that would give a forest of the same size a run for its money. That snake will immediately be provoked into a feeding responce at the slightest movement in the room. Why am I even saying this? Because there are some people that swear by the general docility of the spectacled cobra. However, my spectacled is rather crazy. All that being said, within each genus and species there are individuals. My advice on siamensis was given as a "species as a whole" bit of advice. Sure there are siamensis that get over 6', just like there are kings that hit 18', that doesn't mean the one you have is going to. According to O'shea and Halliday's book, Naja siamensis generally stays between 4 and 5', making them very monocled-like. Yes it is a spitter but then again someone already suggested that at times having a spitter (with the appropriate gear of course) is better than having a nonspitter. Give these circumstances which would you take: 1. a 6 to 7' nigricollis that is very defensive and spits constantly; or 2. a 6 to 7' melanoleuca that is very offensive (key word) and likes to play a game of cat and mouse with its keeper? Now I realize these two are extremes, but I bet you'd pick Situation 1. I've seen kaouthia and naja both that have been tame as a kitten or aggressive as a forest. As a whole though, they tend to be on the calmer, more placid side, just as siamensis tends to be smaller (compared to African spitters) and more maintainable (compared to both African spitters and nonspitters).

Anyway, all this being said, I don't think parts of anyone's answer (including yours) should be ignored as they all contain some truths and some very good ideas. I say, interpret them depending on what you are looking for. Now since I'm finished defending siamensis I will say that all in all, incase I didn't say it in the other post, kaouthia or naja are probably the best choice. Start out with a c.b.b. juvenile (not a baby) and raise the animal. That way you'll know what you're going to be getting into by the time the animal is large. If you have someone to mentor under, great, that is the best way to learn. Always keep in mind however that no matter what you decide upon getting, that even that cute little juvenile Naja sp. could very well leave your wife/kids/family/whatever "out in the rain" if you are killed by it, which is a very real possibility. Never let your guard down and IMO these are some of the easier hots to manage (disclaimer: IMO is "in my opinion" as is based upon, to me, comparative ease of handling juvenile to adult medium-sized cobras compared to handling juvenile to adult medium-sized viperids, too quick to strike, too quick to dodge, I'll stick with the venomous ratsnake). Good luck with whatever you do.
-Chance

All I can say is that i agree 100% with the fact that the best starter naja is someone elses. Also i spent the better part a year studing venomous specifically naja. It has helped me grately and showed me a few things before i ever got one.

Now as for my recommendation of african spitters for a first naja, that was my first naja and in the past 2 years i've worked with app. 8 animals, mainly n. nigricolis and n. mozembica(sp)
and for the most part they are very calm and relitivly easy to handle. N. nigricolis does have a nasty habit of jumping out of the cage at you, but most of the time they just hit the ground and try and get away from you. As for the size my biggest one is just under 6 ft and i consider this a good thing, long hook and hand on tail makes the snakes head far away from you person. Noow i also understand the issue of recommending any african naja to a beginner, yes they are bigger slightly more aggressive but in my oppinion the spitters aren't that bad, yes they have their bad days but so do n kaouthia and n naja.but thats a hole differant argument.
PIONT BLANK get with someone who has experiance with these animals first. some people are lucky yes but why take the chance.
make use of every recource you can before you get one and please if at all possible get a mentor first.
thanks for your time
david

i am only 14 but i have peaple tell me tha a satrting naja would be naja pallida.if you think about it peple with cobras have had other venomous snakes so peaple would know what thhey are doing.