Egyptian Cobra

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The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) is a type of venomous snake native to North Africa and the Middle East. Its bite is extremely venomous, ten times more so than the Indian cobra. The Egyptian Cobra is the most common cobra in Africa and has caused the most deaths. It lives from the Sahara Desert to the Syrian Desert. The Egyptian Cobra, like all other cobras, raises its hood when in danger. It is also the largest of all cobra species with a maximum length of 300cm. This is not to be confused with the King Cobra, which is the largest of the venomous snakes. The King Cobra is found in a different genus and is therefore not a true cobra.

The bite of the Egyptian cobra was proven to induce quick and painless death which was the reason why Egyptian Queen Cleopatra chose the Egyptian cobra as her preferred method of committing suicide after her army and that of her husband/lover, Roman leader Mark Antony, was defeated in the Battle of Actium. A stylised Egyptian Cobra was the symbol of sovereignty of the Pharaohs. Therefore it is also called Uraeus serpent.

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