Rinkhals
The rinkhals is a venomous snake that lives in southern Africa. It is often called the ring-necked spitting cobra, but it is not a true cobra. It is known for spitting venom at threats rather than relying on its bite.1

Como recoñecelo
- Its belly is dark, with one or two light-coloured crossbands on the throat.1
- Its usual total length, including the tail, is 90 to 110 cm.1
- Colour varies. Some individuals are mostly black, while others are striped.1
- When distressed, it spreads its hood to show a striped neck.1
- Its dorsal scales are keeled, which means they have a ridge down the middle.1
Adoita confundirse con: It closely resembles true cobras, which belong to the genus Naja. Its keeled dorsal scales and the lack of solid teeth on the maxilla (upper jaw bone) set it apart, and these differences are why it is placed in its own genus, Hemachatus.1
Poder da pezoña
Esguicha ou cospe un líquido que pica aos atacantes.
Que fai a súa pezoña?
Its venom is neurotoxic, meaning it attacks the nerves, and partially cytotoxic, meaning it destroys body tissue. A bite causes great pain and can lead to necrosis (death of tissue). General symptoms include drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, violent abdominal pain, cramps and vertigo, and local swelling and bruising occur in about a quarter of cases.1
Que perigoso é para as persoas?
Perigo para as persoas: GraveUnha mordedura ou pezoña nos ollos precisa un médico. As mortes son moi raras.Bites are rare, because the snake relies on other defences first. Most bites happen when people try to handle it. No fatality from a rinkhals bite has been recorded in over 40 years.1
Boas novas: os médicos teñen un medicamento (antiveleno) ou un tratamento para isto.1
Que fai cando ten medo?
When threatened, it spreads its hood, hisses and lunges while spitting venom accurately up to 3 m, usually aiming at the face and eyes. If other defences fail, it may bite, and it can also roll over with its mouth open and tongue out.1
Se morde ou cospe
- Polyvalent antivenom is effective for treating rinkhals envenomation. If venom gets into the eyes, it causes great pain and inflammation, and corneal damage can occur if left untreated. Timely first aid and eye-washing will usually lead to recovery after a few days.1
- Mantén a persoa quieta e tranquila, quítalle aneis e cousas apertadas e vai rápido a un hospital: o tratamento é o antiveleno.
- Se lle cuspiu pezoña nos ollos, aclárallos de inmediato con moita auga limpa.
Chama sempre primeiro ao teu número de emerxencias (112, 000, 911). Isto son consellos xerais de primeiros auxilios, non consello médico. Primeiros auxilios básicos
Mantente a salvo
- Nunca toques, collas nin molestes un animal salvaxe, aínda que sexa pequeno e aínda que pareza durmido ou morto.
- Déixalle espazo. Se atopas un, mantén a calma, recúa amodo e déixao ir polo seu camiño.
- Se un te morde ou che cospe pezoña nos ollos: mantén a calma, non te movas, chama ao teu número de emerxencias (112, 000, 911) ou vai rápido a un hospital. Lembra como era, unha foto axuda.
Non vai a por ti. Usa a súa pezoña para cazar comida ou para defenderse, e prefire con moito agocharse. Máis sobre como estar a salvo
En que lugar do mundo?
Que tamaño ten?
Canto mide?
mide coma 2 gatos domésticos do fociño á cola
mide coma 6 bananas postas en fila
podería percorrer 100 metros en 52 segundos (o humano máis rápido precisa 9,6)Que tamaño ten Rinkhals comparado CONTIGO?
Só son contas no teu navegador. Non se garda nin se envía nada a ningures.
Que rápido é?
Datos
When threatened, it can play dead by rolling onto its back with its mouth open and tongue out. This behaviour, called thanatosis, is also seen in some other snakes.1
It can spit venom accurately at targets up to 3 m away and has good control over its venom glands.1
Unlike true cobras, which lay eggs, it gives birth to live young.1
It is not a true cobra. It belongs to its own genus, Hemachatus, which has only one species.1
Desmontamitos
Mito: The rinkhals is a true cobra.
Verdade: It bears a great resemblance to true cobras, but it belongs to the genus Hemachatus rather than Naja, so it is not a true cobra.1
Para expertos en pezoñas
- Nome científico
- Hemachatus haemachatus
- Grupo
- Cobras, mambas e búngaros
- Familia
- Elapidae2
- Orde
- Squamata
- Continentes
- África
- Crías
- It gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs. A litter usually has around 20 to 30 young, though some females give birth to over 60, typically in late summer (December to March in the southern hemisphere).1
- Perigo para as persoas
- 3 / 5: Grave3
De onde veñen os datos
- Rinkhals (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
- Hemachatus haemachatus (iNaturalist): nomes e clasificación.
- Venom Wiki: o nivel de perigo, o tamaño típico e a velocidade estimada son nosos. Mira como os calculamos: Como valoramos o perigo.
Cada dato desta páxina ten un número que leva á súa fonte. Se nos equivocamos nalgo, sentímolo, somos fans dos animais, non unha revista científica. Dínolo en [email protected] e arranxarémolo.
Esguicha ou cospe

