Naja mossambica
Silhouette: V. Deepak · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% 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 Pilanesberg National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 13 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Mozambique Spitting Cobra in Pilanesberg National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April, June–October and December–January, the lowest months. That is one of Pilanesberg National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 130 mm in December.
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.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Mozambique Spitting Cobra sightings, Pilanesberg National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Kruger 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 Pilanesberg National Park (6 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.
