Wild Sightings

SNAKE SAVED FROM CANNIBAL COBRA AS GRAVITY HELPS IT SLIDE OUT OF ITS THROAT

---

Share with friends

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Reddit
• Share on X
• Share on WhatsApp
• Email this Page
• Share on Threads
• Share on Tumblr

---

A lucky snake was saved from a cannibal cobra as gravity helped it slide out of the throat of its rival.

Thor Rixon was visiting Churchhaven, South Africa, when he spotted a Cape cobra with a surprising meal in its jaws.

Amazing footage captured the snake as it slithered along the sand with a puff adder poking out of its mouth.

Incredibly, as the cobra climbed a nearby rock, the angle helped the defenceless adder slide out of its attackers clutches and escape to freedom.

---

“We did not expect to see the puff adder escape as we were sure that the cobra’s venom had already done its damage.“

Thor Rixon

---

---

Thor said: “Myself and everyone present were all shocked and stunned. None of us had seen anything like this.

“Many professionals who have seen the video have said this was an extremely rare sighting.

“We did not expect to see the puff adder escape as we were sure that the cobra’s venom had already done its damage.”

---

🐍 Learn More About: Cape Cobras

---

🐾 Species: Cape Cobra (Naja nivea)
📍 Found in: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and parts of Zimbabwe.
📏Length: 1.2 – 1.5 m (4 – 5 ft)
🏞️ Habitat: Prefers arid savannas, scrubland, deserts, farmland and coastal dunes.

🦎 Diet

• Feeds on:
  • Rodents
  • Birds & eggs
  • Lizards
  • Other snakes – including venomous species like puff adders and other cobras.

⚠️ Venom

• Highly neurotoxic venom affecting the nervous system.
• Bites can cause:
  • Paralysis
  • Respiratory failure
  • Death if untreated
• Responsible for many fatal snakebites in southern Africa.

🕒 Behaviour

• Primarily diurnal (active during the day).
• Extremely alert and fast-striking.
• Will raise the front of its body and spread its hood when threatened.

🏜 Habitat

• Uses:
  • Abandoned burrows
  • Termite mounds
  • Rock crevices
  • Buildings and farm structures

🐣 Reproduction

• Oviparous (lays eggs).
• Females lay 8–20 eggs in warm, hidden locations.

---

⚡ Did You Know?

😮 Cape cobras are one of the few snake species known to actively hunt and eat other deadly snakes, making them both a feared predator and an unexpected ally to humans.

---

---