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Cape Cobra VS Mole Snake

By Grant
Friday, December 14th, 2012

Rule # 1: NEVER interfere with a snake in any way if you are not 100% sure what it is.

Mark de Wet

Cape cobras are easily and often mistaken for mole snakes, and if you are at all familiar with the distinction between these two snakes you’ll know exactly why this could be a serious problem. Cape cobras are Africa’s most venomous cobra and mole snakes, although they can give a painful bite, are non-venomous.

Unless there is the potential for conflict there is no reason to prod, poke or harass a snake in any way. Doing so is literally asking for trouble.

If you find a snake while walking outdoors, enjoy the encounter by taking some photographs but give the animal some respect and leave it be.

If however the snake has found itself in the unfortunate company of people then to avoid conflict on both sides it may be best to move it. In this case if you recognise it as a non-venomous mole snake then you could leave it be - which will not only mean less time and stress for people and the snake but your local snake rescuer will be burning a little less fossil fuel.

WARNING: If you think you know because you recognise the colour, leave the snake alone!

Many people make the mistake of relying on colouration alone when trying to work out what type of snake they have seen. This is a BIG mistake. DON’T do it please!!!

You must be 100% sure!! I cannot stress this enough.

Colouration is rarely a diagnostic feature and should never be used in isolation but instead to support other distinguishing features.

A snakes behaviour is in some cases a dead giveaway. If I were to ask anyone in South Africa what the snake above is I’m sure that the majority would easily be able to tell me that it is a cobra. The cobra’s hood is probably one of the most documented behaviours worldwide finding its way into myths, legends and your TV screen. Because of the hood we can easily establish that this is a venomous cobra because we are familiar with the behaviour.

But what happens when there is no hood?

If you see a snake the colour of a mole snake, it is found in an area where mole snakes have been seen before and it doesn’t stand up or spread a hood - well then it must be a mole snake right?

In the compilation below there are three individual snakes of two different species, all originating within a 10km radius of each other. Can you tell the difference?

Looking at colouration alone and body covering wont get you very far. They are often strikingly similar in colour, they both have smooth scales and they both hiss when approached too closely. So what else is left?

The trick with these two species is to look at the size and shape of the head. The mole snake spends much of its life underground; it’s a burrowing species with a relatively small elongated head and pointed snout perfect for this lifestyle. The cape cobra has a broad head and an almost rounded ‘cheek’ or temporal area.

If you look closely at the images above the top left and right are of a mole snake and a Cape cobra respectively while the bottom two images are closeups of their heads; the bottom left is a Cape cobra and the bottom right is a mole snake.

Notice the difference in head size and shape? Notice the elongation in the mole snake’s head when compared with the Cape cobra? Another feature is the distance from the eye to the nostril. If you look closely the mole snakes is further away than the Cape cobra’s (count the scales between the eye and the nostril) adding to the elongated appearance of its head.

A&D = Mole snake (Pseudaspis cana)

B&C = Cape cobra (Naja nivea)

Still not sure? Here is a video where I use a live Cape cobra to explain the difference

Can you tell the difference?

Excellent! Now you are able to help. Not to go out catching snakes, remember this is only a last resort and should be left to a trained and legally permitted snake rescuer (snake removal service), but to educate. Many snakes are needlessly killed because people think that they are going to kill them.

Now:

  • you know the difference between a Cape cobra and a mole snake
  • you know where to find a snake rescuer and
  • you know that people are only usually bitten when trying to hurt or interfere with a snake.

Questions or comments? I’d love to hear from you!

Protect yourself with snake gaiters…

Grant
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Grant

Field Officer at Endangered Wildlife Trust
Hi and welcome to the site! I'm a conservationist by profession, a wannabe herpetologist and the creator of Cape Snake Conservation. I believe that fear can be overcome and that balance between man and beast can be achieved. My mission is the snake.
Grant
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  • Rod McGregor Mann

    I am plagued by golden moles in my garden. I live in Kleinemonde in the Eastern Cape and the entire area looks like a world one battlefield. How can I “encourage” a few molesnakes to come and enjoy this feast? Do you know of any that need to be released or where I could enquire? We have quite a few cobras around here but they pretty much mind their own business. So surface rodents are pretty much taken care of in that respect. Thanks for the interesting info!

    • Hi Rod! There is no real easy answer to this. If there is food supply and suitable habitat for snakes nearby they should move in on their own. Introducing snakes in this case is not really recommended.

      If you can create micro habitats around your garden, brush piles, hedges anything that will provide a snake with secure cover and the opportunity to soak up some sun.

      But remember, you might get more than mole snakes 🙂

  • Rox Bradnick

    I moved out to the Boland earlier this year, and today I saw my first snake in a very long time (these being on the rare-ish side in Cape Town’s more urban areas).

    My lovely garden guy came to call me to see the snake, which had a very full tummy and had gotten itself stuck in the chickenwire fence that separates my property from a huge wheat field. Cannot for the life of me remember the Afrikaans name he gave it, but he did say it was very dangerous and that I must call the police to shoot it. After calming him down and explaining that snakes are good to have around and that it would get unstuck when it had digested its lunch, he made me promise to at least keep kitchen door shut just in case. When I checked half an hour later, it had gone off just fine on its own.

    Being fascinated with snakes, spiders and every other critter out here in the countryside, my curiosity got me asking Google what species it may be. I know we get cobra around here, and mole snakes too - from its colour and size, narrowed it down to one of these two species. It was in an awkward place and I wasn’t wearing my glasses (such was my rush to get out and see it!). Also, it kept swinging around to try and shift past its fat tummy, then going back to chilling with its head away from me.

    Other than the head shape/size, are there any other ways to tell them apart? Even though this one has gone, and I now have number for local catch and release snake ‘whisperer’, I am really amped to find out more in case I get to see it again.

    Whatever the case, this definitely trumps seeing the scorpion on my lounge wall the other night AND seeing my first Red Roman. Yay for local wildlife! 😉

    • Beauty is in the small things 🙂

      There isn’t really any other way to tell apart from the head-shape unfortunately. It would obviously have been much easier if it spread a hood.

      Thanks for sharing your experience Rox!

  • David Townsend

    Had a cobra type snake on my property in Eastern Cape reddish in color according to my labourer and about 2.5 metres long. Could it have been a Cape Cobra?

    • Hi David. It’s very difficult to say without more detail. Did the snake spread a hood?

    • Hi David. It’s very difficult to say without more detail. Did the snake spread a hood?

      • David Townsend

        Yes the snake spread a hood and was raised off the ground.

        • Could be a Cape cobra then. Their colouration is highly variable.

          • David Townsend

            Thanks Grant. Have had far more snakes this year around my property than last year. So far this will be the second Cape Cobra, along with 6 Puff Adders and 2 Night Adders.

          • Most people may not agree-but I say, lucky you!

  • haveitoldulately

    Hi. Yesterday, I had a bunch of ducks happily browsing about outside when suddenly all hell broke loose. Went outside to find poor mother duck beside herself, making loud aggressive attacking gestures directed at the steps. I found one of her ducklings lying underneath on its back. It was alive, but there was blood seeping from its bill and it had a small gouge mark on its shoulder. I assumed it must have been attacked by a male duck, although it struck me as odd that there was a puncture wound. I also registered that the body was limp and the chest was rigid. The duck clearly had internal bleeding and duly succumbed within 3-4 minutes to what I now suspect might have been a toxin. I put the body under the tree amongst some ferns - next to the deck - and lay a small branch over it to shield it from the hot sun. But then, when I checked an hour later, everything was exactly as I’d left it but for the corpse which had vanished. Nothing out of place and not so much as a feather left behind. I then thought it might be a snake. I can’t think of anything else that would have dared attack one of a group of ducks so brazenly and to do so in such close proximity to the deck. My own presence a stone’s throw away rules out a cat or larger animal or bird. What else? Now, my question is this. The duckling was big already, at least half the size of a full-grown duck. So, assuming it was a snake, what size would it have had to be? My second question is, where can one be sure to find anti-venom in the far South should one per chance get bitten? Which emergency service is the best one to call?
    Your advice would be most appreciated.

    • Hi, thanks for the interesting story.

      it’s very difficult to say whether it was a snake or not, although it sounds like the duck may have been too large - even for a large puff adder. But then again that’s just a guess on what I think the size of the duck was that you described.

      In terms of anti-venom, it’s never a good idea to keep your own. If you ever did get bitten - your best course of action would be to get to a hospital or medi-clinic as soon as possible and call Tygerberg poison unit if need be.

      The phone numbers are detailed in my free ebook which can be downloaded if you sign up.

      Keep an eye out though, if it was a snake and there is a source of food it probably won’t go very far - especially if there is a good hiding place under the steps.

      • haveitoldulately

        Hi Grant

        I agree that a snake is not the first thing to come to mind when a duck cops it. In my 10 years here, I’ve witnessed many ducks come undone, but nothing quite like this. On the flipside, I have only ever encountered one snake incident in all that time - when a neighbour was bitten on his hand by a baby cobra that was lurking under his deck. But that was more than 6 years ago now. I don’t mind snakes if they mind their own business, but the thought of a big one lurking about and the risk of an accidental nip is um well…

        Thanks for this site, by the way - I enjoyed browsing about and learning more about our local friends.

        • My pleasure - knowledge is power.

          Keep an eye out - if you manage to get sight of whatever it is I’d love to know. And if it is a snake, give me a call and I’ll happily come and relocate it for you. If you can’t get hold of me - one of the guys here should be able to assist http://www.capesnakeconservation.com/snake-removal/

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  • Matthew Hector

    I found a baby mole snake, but it was being attacked by ants. I’m worried it can’t survive on its on. What should I do

    • Hi Matthew sorry for the delayed response. Snakes are sometimes found under cover objects along with ants. For the most part it doesn’t seem to bother them. Are there any visible injuries? If so it may need a vet, if not best to let it go.

  • Leanne Rowe-Roberts

    Hi Grant

    I need some help to identify a snake please.

    This afternoon my 7 year old daughter came face to face with a snake under our couch while looking for a lost item. It hissed at her and coiled up immediately.

    It was very dark grey/black and had smooth shiny scales, almost oily in appearance. It had a small rounded head, not too pointed. It was about a meter and a half in length and about 5-7cm in diameter. I presumed mole snake and an hour or so later managed to get it into the garden.

    Once it was halfway across the grass, our dogs came bounding towards it and it immediately lifted its head about 15-20cm and hooded up at them. My Mom and daughter, who were standing about 5 meters away, to the snake’s left, took a step forward and shouted to the dogs - the snake turned sharply and aggressively towards them and reared its head a second time. It then turned left again and moved swiftly towards my housekeeper and finally turned again and made a beeline for the house, by which time I had run round and was closing the sliding door. It then slid under the adjacent deck, where it has remained.

    I am aware we inadvertently cornered it, but was surprised by the hooding and aggressiveness. Do mole snakes hood up (eg mimicking a cobra?)…

    How can we educate ourselves further? Is there a snake facility with an informative talk, etc…? What do we do and who do we call in the event of a bite? What if we can’t identify the snake adequately (eg if we are not with the kids in the garden when it happens)?

    Many thanks, Lea

    • Hi Lea, thanks for your comment.

      The first thing that I would need to know is the area that this happened in - that will narrow down the possibilities.

      When you say the snake spread a hood, was it a typical cobra hood - i.e. flat neck or was it more just a lifting of the head? Did you notice any colour underneath?

      Although it is easy to misinterpret the behaviour, I wouldn’t say that the snake was aggressive. It got a huge fright and was under a lot of stress by the time it was outside.

      Then it was nearly attacked by dogs, which can easily kill a snake. Rising up (or hooding) was a defensive action which probably saved its life.

      There are facilities available, but I would need to know what area you are in.

  • Iman Soup

    Saw a Cape Cobra in my garden the other day but it slide away. Live in Cape Town Southern peninsula on mountain roads on ether side of house. Should I just leave it an assume it will eventually leave or is it cause for concern?

    • Hi Iman - sorry for only getting to you now. My reply did not seem to have posted. Have you seen the snake again? Usually, unless they have a permanent home on your property, they will just move off.

  • Lou Wrench

    Caught this chap on a stoep. (Clanwilliam area) It has a hood like a cobra, but its markings?

    • Hi Lou, that’s (very) speckled form of the Cape cobra. Well done on catching and not harming. Take care on the release or have you already done that?

      • Lou Wrench

        Released in field near a stream away from people.
        Is the speckle evolved? and does it have a purpose?

        • Great stuff, well done! The colours vary from place to place. It is thought that in certain areas certain colours are better suited for camouflage. But, we often find completely different colour varieties in the same location. So we don’t really know; but it’s likely to have some correlation with the habitat where the snake is found.

  • Two of the same snakes; one sadly run over but you can see the markings I hope. I was told that they are young mole snakes but they look more like Rinkhals to me. However, what I know is dangerous! What do you think?

  • Hello Grant! I tried to post something yesterday but obviously failed miserably. Please would you have a look at the photo? No idea what it is but it is small (1ft) and looks very similar to the first photo you have on your front page.
    Many Thanks,
    Roddy

    • Not sure how I missed this, sorry. Very difficult to tell from the picture. Need clearer shots from different angles; I think it’s a slug eater

      • Thanks Grant and yes, the photo wasn’t very clear! In any case you”ve suggested what I thought so many thanks.

        • OK great. Slug eaters usually have a two-toned appearance, i.e. the top and side colours are different. Underneath they have a distinctive yellow/ cream stripe running the length of the body.

  • Anton Bouwer

    Hi Grant. Saw this snake on our farm (close to Yzerfontein) 2 days ago. I was convinced it is a mole snake due to its absolute lack of hood. However, after watching your video I am no longer certain. What do you think?
    Just to be safe, I killed it (just kidding :), its a privilege to have these beautiful creatures on our farm). Hope to visit the snake again soon, this time knowing what I am looking at.
    Thanks
    Anton

    • You were spot on Anton. The mole snake is thicker and far more muscular in appearance than the Cape cobra.

  • Brenda Du Toit

    I live in Gan

  • Brenda Du Toit

    Cobra or mole snake? I live in Gansbaai which has both plus puff adders. Lots of bush around. I assumed this was a mole snake but now am not sure. It was harassed a little by neighbours but did not reveal its hood. Eventually hid under car and the went across the road and into someone’s house - luckily holiday house owners so not currently there. Please advise.

  • Brenda Du Toit

    Cobra or mole snake? No hood shown when neighbours tried (with the wrong tools) to take it away. Went across road into a house. The birds were very aggressive with it, especially the fiscal flycatcher. Living in Gansbaai, we have cobra, puff adder and mole snakes. I have dogs so just want to know.

  • Carmen

    Hello would someone please be able to try and identify this baby snake I found at my house?

    • Tat’s a legless skink - i.e. a lizard

      • Anthony Venter

        Hi Grant,
        Do you find this little chap in the Western Cape? I Saw a couple in my garden in the last week.

        • We sure do. Cape legless skink, Acontias meleagris. Sounds like your garden is nice and healthy Anthony

          • Anthony Venter

            Hi Grant, Thank you for the info. Now I know not to kill them thinking it might be a kind of snake. We love gardening. Make me happy when they are around because of a healthy garden!

          • Anthony Venter

            What do they eat?

          • They eat small invertebrates. You don’t need to kill snakes Anthony, rather call me!

          • Anthony Venter

            Thanks again. No we don’t but the garden service does if we not around. Trying to educate them not to do that.

          • No problem. Might be best to give the garden service my number then 😉

  • Sue Pritt

    Yesterday as we arrived home a snake was outside our garage which we didn’t see until we activated the door. Having hidden behind the dustbin - snake, not us we managed to evict it. It was black - very like the snake in Brenda Du Toit’s picture.

    However when we were persuading it to leave (with the help of a rounded rake it twice it reared and produced a hood. We thought it was a Cape Cobra but our Village Manager thinks it’s was a mole snake. We live in Zevenwacht, at the start of the wine lands and have had a Cape Cobra on our stoep in the past.

    • Hi Sue. When the snake reared up, did you notice any markings or colouration underneath? Other snakes can lift their heads, but cannot flatten them to make a hood. That would be a cobra or a rinkhals…

  • Melt van der Spuy

    Hi there I live against the mountain in Betty’s Bay, which is very much cobra and puff adder territory. I’m intrigued to know more or less how big a cobra needs to be to strike and pierce human or animal skin? Should I be concerned about a pinky thick cobra less than 15cm long? I’m guessing it was a cobra by the shape of the head and its aggression when I tried to move it with braai tongs. More concerned for the cat than us…

    • Hi Melt. Sounds a little small to be a cobra. Regardless, even juveniles can pierce skin and are just as venomous. Have you got a photo by any chance?

      • Melt van der Spuy

        Thanks Grant, probably a harmless little slug eater then. I should have taken a photo will if I see him again…thanks good to know that ‘babies’ are not harmless.

  • Kobus Prins

    Cobra / Geelslang ? I know some people say that a cobra in english and geelsalng in afrikaans is the same others say that they differ - I found this snake just outside my gate. I live in Stilfontein next to the river. Is this the cobra / geelslang? The snake were chased to the nearby field by the cat

    • Hi Kobus. Yes, the cobra and geelslang are indeed the same thing, and yes this is one.

  • Jessica Marais

    Found this guy in a dune yesterday close to some coastal bush. Never occured to me it could be a cobra until my dad looked at it.

    • Morning Jessica, looks more like a slug eater to me. Seems a little out of place though - was it still alive?

      • Jessica Marais

        Yes it was crawling along quite happily on the sand. I thought it was out of place - just as I am not accustomed to snakes on the beach but I was a bit nervous to move it so my kids and I spent some time watching it and then i took the pic. It was quite small- about as thick as my thumb and under 30cm long.

        • You did the right thing. Definitely a slug eater 🙂

  • Glenda

    Hi Grant, thank you for your very valuable information. I will be moving to Klein Dassenberg on a farm soon and have two dogs, I am concerned for the dogs welfare and have arranged to have a vibracrete wall put up around the property with chicken wire sunken beneath the bottom slab, are there any other preventative measures I can take to protect my dogs ?

  • Casey B Dolan

    Awesome! Thank you 🙂

  • Amanda DeWet

    Hi Grant, in the video where you released the big black mole snake you mentioned that the cobra usually has a creamy/lighter colour on its belly, whilst the mole snake is more uniform in colour all the way round. Does this only apply when they are black, or does it hold true for all adult mole snake colour variations.

    • Hi Amanda, sorry to have missed this. In general the adult mole snakes are fairly uniform - and the cobras lighter underneath. I wouldn’t say creamy though as we get black Cape cobras in Cape Town that are almost reddish underneath.

      This is not to be confused with a boomslang either which can be dark black on top and bright yellow underneath. Another good feature to look out for is a black tip to the tail in the Cape cobra.

      • Amanda DeWet

        Thank you Grant 🙂

  • Markus Walker

    Cobra of mole snake? We spotted this snake in early October 2014 in the West Coast National Park. It was late afternoon, short before closing the gates.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f52b02ba4afea6589ddc660205763fd6445499bb5e7af164fe01a47e521658e6.jpg
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a8845240b3483dffc1490aca39c3dada3a92ca1c69421c888df6fe4d40a4e829.jpg

    • That’s a mole snake - they get big out there 🙂

  • Ernst Oberholzer

    Can you please tell me the difference between a male and female cape cobra.

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