Gold's Tree Cobra

DESCRIPTION:

The Gold’s Tree Cobra is a big slender tree cobra with average adults being between 1.5 and 2 meters, reaching 2.7 meters in length. Gold’s Tree Cobra has a blunt head and very large eye. Shiny and glossy black above with the scales on the sides of the head, chin and throat colored in bright yellow, with black edging. Young snakes have several bands or cross-bars which narrow toward the tail, becoming scattered yellow scales on the rear of the snake.

HABITS & HABITAT:

The Gold’s Tree Cobra is found from sea-level up to 1700m above sea-level in forests or forest islands as well as Guinea savanna, primary and altered forest, mangrove and swamp forest, and sometimes in suburbs. These snakes are alert, nervous and quick but rarely seen. They move and climb very fast. If cornered or threatened it will rear-up spreading a long narrow hood.

DISTRIBUTION:

Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, W/C/E Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo (Brazzaville), Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea.

VENOM:

The venom of the Gold’s Tree Cobra is presumed to be neurotoxic like other members of the cobra family and must be considered a medical emergency. In the laboratory, the venom has high lethal potency, but no cases of bites or envenoming are recorded. Bites are extremely unlikely due to the rarity of this snake, and being nervous and alert, the snake is likely to flee before it is even seen.

SYMPTOMS:

Presumably neurotoxic symptoms similar to other cobras manifesting in progressive weakess syndrome and respiratory distress.

ANTIVENOM:

No specific antivenom made, but EchiTab-Plus-ICP may neutralize this venom.