Naja mossambica
Silhouette: V. Deepak · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The Mozambique spitting cobra (Naja mossambica) is a highly venomous species of spitting cobra in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Africa, and it is found in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
German naturalist Wilhelm Peters described Naja mossambica as a species new to science in 1854. In colour, Naja mossambica is slate to blue, olive or tawny black above, with some or all scales having black edging. Below, it is salmon pink to purple yellowish, with black bars across the neck and ventrals speckled or edged with brown or black; young specimens sometimes have pink or yellow bars on the throat.
The average length of adults is between 90 cm and 105 cm (3–3½ feet), but the largest specimen measured was a male 154 cm (5 feet) long in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Naja mossambica is the most common cobra of the savanna regions of tropical and subtropical Africa. The distribution includes all of Mozambique; KwaZulu-Natal, as far south as Durban; Mpumalanga's lowveld region; southeastern Tanzania and Pemba Island; and west to far southeastern Angola and northeastern... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg Zoo | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Paphos Zoo | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | |
| 3 | Hartbeespoort Dam Snake and Animal Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mozambique Spitting Cobra sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 29th most-seen of the 62 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to June
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mozambique Spitting Cobra in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and August, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mozambique Spitting Cobra sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Mozambique Spitting Cobra sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Pilanesberg National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mozambique Spitting Cobra is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kruger National Park (38 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
