Head to head
Rinkhals vs Black-necked Spitting Cobra
Rinkhals
VS Black-necked Spitting Cobra
The rinkhals and black-necked spitting cobra are two African spitting snakes with hoods, but only one is a true cobra.
| Rinkhals | Black-necked Spitting Cobra | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Hemachatus haemachatus | Naja nigricollis |
| Relationship | Not a true cobra, in its own genus, with keeled scales, and gives birth to live young | A true cobra in the genus Naja |
| Colour | A dark body with one or two pale bands across the throat | Ranges from all black to grey, olive, red, or banded across its wide African range |
| Spitting | Spreads a hood and spits venom at the eyes of an attacker from up to a couple of metres away | Forces venom through forward-facing holes in the fang tips, producing two fine sprays aimed at the face from 2 to 3 metres |
| Other defences | Rolls onto its back and plays dead if spitting and bluffing fail | A bite delivers a cytotoxic venom that causes major local tissue destruction and blistering |
| Diet | Mostly toads and frogs, as well as rodents, birds, eggs, lizards, and other snakes | Rodents, other snakes, amphibians, birds, eggs, and lizards, and it enters buildings after rats |
| Range | Grassland and mountain slopes in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe | Savanna, grassland, dry forest, and farmland across much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Mauritania and Senegal east to Somalia and south to northern South Africa |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, with a stable population | Least Concern |
Rinkhals vs Black-necked Spitting Cobra: common questions
Is the rinkhals a true cobra?
No, it belongs to its own genus, Hemachatus, and differs from true cobras in having keeled scales and giving birth to live young.
What does spit in the eyes do?
Spat venom is harmless on intact skin, but in the eyes it causes severe pain and, without prompt irrigation, can cause permanent damage.
Which one plays dead?
The rinkhals, which rolls onto its back with its mouth open if spitting and bluffing fail.