Caspian cobra
The Caspian cobra is a highly venomous snake that lives in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Many scientists consider it the most venomous cobra in the world. It is also a strong swimmer and a good climber.1

Comment le reconnaître
- Adults are light to chocolate brown or yellowish, with no hood marks and no spots on the throat.1
- Juveniles are pale and faded, with dark and light cross-bands of about equal width around the body.1
- The hood is long and tapers gradually, unlike the rounder hood of some other cobras.1
- It has several dark bands under the throat.1
- It is never fully black, although some individuals can be quite dark.1
Souvent confondu avec : The Caspian cobra is often confused with the Indian cobra, and the two live side by side in Pakistan and northern India. Indian cobras without a hood mark look similar. In the black form of the Indian cobra from Pakistan, almost the whole throat is black, while the Caspian cobra has several dark throat bands and is never fully black.1
Puissance du venin
Le venin sort par ses crochets ou ses dents quand il mord.
Que fait son venin ?
Its venom is mainly neurotoxic, meaning it attacks the nerves, and most of the venom is made of short neurotoxins. It also contains cytotoxins, which can kill cells, and enzymes called nucleases, which damage tissue at the bite. Severe pain and swelling appear quickly, and weakness, drowsiness and paralysis of the throat and limbs can appear within an hour. The venom can also affect the heart during the first few hours, and at least one heart attack after a bite has been recorded.1
À quel point est-il dangereux pour l'homme ?
Danger pour l'homme: MortelL'un des animaux les plus dangereux du monde.It is regarded as the most dangerous snake in Central Asia and has a high death rate. Between 1979 and 1987, 136 confirmed bites were attributed to it in the former Soviet Union. Of these, 8 people died after receiving antivenom, and 11 of the 15 who did not receive antivenom died. In Iran, it causes more deaths from snakebite than any other snake in the country. Without treatment, death can come in as little as 45 minutes or be delayed for up to 24 hours.1
Bonne nouvelle : les médecins ont un médicament (antivenin) ou un traitement pour ça.1
Que fait-il quand il a peur ?
It tends to avoid people, but when cornered or provoked it spreads its hood, hisses, sways from side to side and strikes repeatedly.1
S'il mord
- Medical treatment with antivenom is essential, because untreated bites are often fatal. Symptoms can worsen rapidly without treatment, so urgent medical care is needed.1
- Garde la personne immobile et calme, enlève bagues et objets serrés, et va vite à l'hôpital : le traitement, c'est l'antivenin.
Appelle toujours d'abord ton numéro d'urgence (112, 000, 911). Ce sont des conseils généraux de premiers secours, pas un avis médical. Les bases des premiers secours
Reste en sécurité
- Ne touche, n'attrape et n'embête jamais un animal sauvage, même petit, et même s'il a l'air endormi ou mort.
- Laisse-lui de la place. Si tu en croises un, reste calme, recule doucement et laisse-le passer son chemin.
- S'il te mord : reste calme, ne bouge pas, appelle ton numéro d'urgence (112, 000, 911) ou va vite à l'hôpital. Souviens-toi de quoi il avait l'air, une photo aide.
Il ne t'en veut pas. Il utilise son venin pour attraper sa nourriture ou se protéger, et il préfère de loin se cacher. Plus d'infos pour rester en sécurité
Où dans le monde ?
Quelle taille fait-il ?
Quelle longueur fait-il ?
aussi long que 3 chats domestiques du museau à la queue
aussi long que 9 bananes mises bout à bout
pourrait parcourir 100 mètres en 48 secondes (l'humain le plus rapide met 9,6)Quelle taille fait Caspian cobra comparé à TOI ?
Juste des calculs dans ton navigateur. Rien n'est enregistré ni envoyé nulle part.
À quelle vitesse va-t-il ?
Faits
Many toxinological studies suggest that the Caspian cobra is the most venomous cobra in the world.1
A ribonuclease called ribonuclease V1, purified from its venom, is used as a laboratory reagent in molecular biology because it can break down structured RNA.1
It cannot spit venom, but it is a good climber and an able swimmer.1
It is the westernmost species of Asiatic cobra, and it can be found at heights of up to about 3,000 m.1
For most of the twentieth century it was treated as a subspecies of the Indian cobra, until genetic analysis showed it was a separate species.1
Démêle le vrai du faux
Idée reçue : Caspian cobras are always black, like some Indian cobras.
Vérité : The Caspian cobra is never fully black. Adults are light to chocolate brown or yellowish, and it has several dark bands under the throat.1
D'où viennent les faits
- Caspian cobra (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
- Naja oxiana (iNaturalist): noms et classification.
- Venom Wiki: le niveau de danger, la taille typique et la vitesse estimée sont les nôtres. Regarde comment on les calcule : Comment on évalue le danger.
Chaque fait sur cette page a un numéro qui renvoie à sa source. Si on s'est trompés, désolés, on est des fans d'animaux, pas une revue scientifique. Dis-le-nous à [email protected] et on corrigera.
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