Extremely venomous cobra species distributed in Vietnam

In Vietnam, there are 4 species of cobras, all of which possess deadly venom.

Cobras (scientific name: naja) are a genus of venomous snakes in the family Cobras , distributed throughout Asia and Africa. Cobras are not distributed in Australia, America and Europe, although these continents also have different venomous species of cobras.

Common characteristics of cobras are long bodies, large heads and the ability to inflate gills in the neck to threaten enemies. Some cobras, in addition to attacking and injecting venom into enemies with fangs, can also spray venom to attack enemies from a distance.

Initially, scientists estimated that there were 20 to 22 species of cobras, but recent studies have shown that the cobra genus has 38 species. In Vietnam, there are 4 species of cobras distributed and all possess deadly venom.

Below are the extremely venomous cobra species currently distributed in Vietnam.

Chinese Cobra

The Chinese cobra, with the scientific name Naja atra, is also known as the cobra, common cobra. This snake species is mainly distributed in southeastern China, Hainan Island, Taiwan Island, northern Vietnam and a small part of northern Laos.

In Vietnam, this snake species is abundant in the northern provinces, extending to the North Central provinces and appearing sporadically in Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces. The southern provinces from Thua Thien-Hue onwards have almost no record of the appearance of the Chinese cobra.

Many netizens shared images of Chinese cobras they encountered in residential areas in northern provinces and cities (Photo: Facebook group "Snake identification and first aid for snake bites in Vietnam").

The Chinese cobra is one of the most common venomous snakes in the northern region of Vietnam. They are often found in many different habitats, including grasslands, forests, shrublands, swamps, riverbanks, agricultural rice fields, etc.

This snake species can even be found in residential areas, abandoned land with overgrown trees in cities.

The Chinese cobra is a medium-sized venomous snake, ranging in length from 1.2 to 1.5 metres, although rarely up to 2 metres. It is active during the day, but hunts mainly at night. Its main diet consists of toads, frogs, lizards, rats and other snakes. Young snakes feed mainly on frogs.

Some of the different patterns on the back of the Chinese cobra's neck (Photo: HongKong SnakeID).

Adult Chinese cobras mate in late April or early May, then lay eggs between June and July. Each clutch contains between six and 20 eggs. The eggs hatch after 50 to 57 days, meaning the young emerge between July and September. This is when young Chinese cobras are most commonly seen, even in residential areas.

Cobra

The cobra, also known as the spectacled cobra, the puffer cobra … has the scientific name Naja kaouthia. This snake species is distributed from India, Bangladesh to a small part of southwestern China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam…

Unlike the Chinese cobra above, in Vietnam, the cobra is only distributed in the Central region, the Central Highlands and the southern provinces.

The cobra can also be found in human inhabited areas.

The cobra can live in a variety of environments, including mangrove forests, rice fields, swamps, grasslands, agricultural areas, etc. The cobra can also be found in areas where humans live, including in cities, so they may come into contact with humans.

Compared to the Chinese cobra, the groundhog is slightly larger, typically measuring 1.3 to 1.5 metres in length, and can rarely grow to 2.3 metres in length. The skin colour of the groundhog is also usually darker than that of the Chinese cobra, sometimes jet black.

When feeling threatened, the cobra often raises its head and expands its gills. A circular pattern resembling glasses can be observed on the back of the gills. The food of this snake includes rodents, fish, frogs and some other snakes.

Cobras can also spit venom to attack enemies, but they mainly use their fangs to bite and inject venom.

The cobra is generally darker in color than the Chinese cobra (Photo: ResearchGate).

Female cobras usually lay eggs between January and March each year, with each clutch containing 16 to 33 eggs. The incubation period lasts between 55 and 73 days, so young snakes usually appear between April and June each year, and this may be the time when cobras are most commonly encountered.

Cobra Fu Xi

Initially, the Fuxi cobra was considered part of the ground cobra. However, it was not until 2022, when scientists studied its biological morphology and genetics more closely, that the Fuxi cobra was recognized as a separate species, with the scientific name Naja fuxi.

The name Fu Xi of this snake is said to originate from Fu Xi in Chinese mythology, one of the ancestors of mankind and had the form of half human, half snake.

The Fuxi cobra was once considered part of the terrapin, but was later identified as a separate species (Photo: ResearchGate).

The Fuxi Cobra usually lives in forests at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,400m, on gentle slopes or at the edge of forests. This snake species is distributed in the southwestern region of China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

In Vietnam, this snake species is often found in the mountainous areas of the Northwest.

The Fuxi cobra is a medium-sized snake, with a body length of 70 to 140 cm. This snake species is usually brown or dark in color, with juveniles being darker than adults.

In general, distinguishing between the Fu Xi cobra and the earth tiger is not easy and requires specialized knowledge.

The Fuxi cobra feeds on amphibians, birds, rodents, and other snakes. It is also occasionally found in human-inhabited areas, hunting or eating domesticated poultry.

Spitting Cobra of Indochina

The Indochinese spitting cobra (scientific name Naja siamensis), also known as the Siamese cobra or more commonly known as the cat snake , is a species of cobra widely distributed in Southeast Asia. This snake species is found in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

In Vietnam, this snake species is often distributed in provinces and cities in the Western and Southern regions such as Tay Ninh, Dong Nai, An Giang, Tien Giang, Ho Chi Minh City.

Compared to other cobras, the cat snake is usually brighter in color, with white spots and stripes on its body. It is between 0.9 and 1.2 meters long and can reach a maximum length of 1.6 meters.

The venom spray distance of this snake can be up to 2m.

True to its name "Spraying Cobra", in addition to the ability to attack with poisonous fangs, cat cobras can spray venom to attack enemies from a distance. The distance of spraying venom can be up to 2m. Normally, snakes will use the method of spraying venom to threaten enemies before using the method of biting to attack.

If a person or other animal is sprayed with venom and gets into an open wound, they will be poisoned in the same way as if they were bitten by a snake. In the case of venom being sprayed into the eyes, it will lead to burning pain, temporary blindness or even permanent blindness. If a person is sprayed with venom in the eyes, they should immediately rinse the eyes under running water to clean out the poison.

The tiger snake has a wide habitat, can be found in lowlands, wetlands, agricultural land, rubber forests, plantations. so they can clash with humans when they invade human-inhabited areas to hunt rats.

The food of the cat snake is amphibians, rodents, birds, small carnivores.

Each clutch of pit vipers contains 13 to 20 eggs. The eggs hatch in 48 to 70 days, depending on the temperature of the incubator. The hatchlings possess venom as dangerous as the adults, enough to kill an adult with a single bite.

Why is the king cobra not on the list of cobras distributed in Vietnam?

After reading the list above, many readers will wonder why there are only four species of cobras distributed in Vietnam, what about the king cobra?

The king cobra (scientific name Ophiophagus hannah) , commonly known as the king cobra in Vietnam, is not a true cobra (Naja) species but the only species of the genus Ophiophagus.

The reason why the king cobra is also called the king cobra is because it can also raise its head and spread its hood to threaten enemies, but the hood of the king cobra is usually smaller than that of a true cobra.

The king cobra is not a true cobra, although it is still capable of spreading its hood and raising its head (Photo: Wikipedia).

King cobras also have many differences in morphology and biological characteristics compared to cobras, such as larger size and longer length (king cobras are the largest venomous snakes in the world, can be up to 5m long). King cobras are carnivores of snakes, including venomous and non-venomous snakes. In conditions of food shortage, king cobras eat their own kind.

King cobras serve to control the snake population in their range and to control the king cobra population itself in the event of a decline in the snake population in an area.

What to do if a cobra crawls into the house?

Above are 4 species of cobras distributed in Vietnam. These snakes all have the common characteristic of being able to spread their hoods, raise their heads high and especially possess deadly venom.

Distinguishing between cobra species is not easy for people without specialized knowledge. Therefore, if you come across any snake that can spread its hood and raise its head, you can easily know that it is a cobra, so try to stay away from them as much as possible.

Do not attempt to capture cobras when they enter your home as this can lead to the risk of being bitten, causing dangerous accidents (Photo: SIFASV).

In case a cobra enters your home, you need to stay calm, keep a safe distance from the snake, use your phone or recording device to capture images of the snake, then send these images to snake experts or local rescue forces for help.

Images of recorded snake species are also very useful in case of snake bites, helping doctors have treatment plans and use antivenom serums appropriate for each group of subjects.

While waiting for rescue forces or snake rescue teams to arrive at the scene, people need to always keep an eye on the snake, avoid letting the animal run out of sight and hide in hidden corners of the house.

If you cannot contact rescue forces or reptile experts, you can use a pole, a long broom handle, etc., and a box to hold the snake. Then, use the pole or broom handle to herd or hook the snake into the box, and close the lid tightly to prevent the snake from escaping.

If it is not possible to capture or move the snake to another place to avoid danger, people can choose the last solution which is to find a way to destroy the animal to ensure the safety of their lives and their families.

If you are unfortunately bitten by a snake, you need to calm the victim down, avoid excessive movement that causes the heart to beat faster, place the bite site lower than the heart to prevent the venom from spreading faster, then take the victim to a medical facility as soon as possible. Measures such as cutting the wound, sucking out the poison, applying medicinal leaves, etc. can make the victim's condition more serious.