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

Ni ngay ko xàmmee
- 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
Ñu ngi koy faral di jaxasoo ak: 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
Kàttanu daŋar
Dafay xëpp walla tuuf ab ndox muy lakk ci kaw ñi ko song.
Lan la daŋar biy sóob di def?
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
Ni mu lore nit ñi?
Musiba ci nit: Lu bonMàtt walla daŋar ci bët yi laaj na doktoor. Ñi ciy dee dañoo néew lool.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
Xibaar bu baax: doktoor yi am nañu garab (sérum antivenimeux) walla ab paj ngir lii.1
Lan lay def bu tiitee?
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
Su màttee walla mu tuuf
- 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
- Def ba nit ki bañ a yëngu te dal, dindi jaaro yi ak lu xat lépp, te yóbbu ko lopitaan ci gaaw: sérum antivenimeux mooy paj mi.
- Su ñu tuufee daŋar ci bët yi, raxas leen ak ndox mu set mu bare ci saa si.
Saa su nekk, woo jëkk sa nimerob urgence (112, 000, 911). Lii ay ndigal yu yaatu ci ndimbal yu jëkk la, du ndigalu doktoor. Li war a xam ci ndimbal yu jëkk
Sàmmal sa bopp
- Bul laal mukk, bul jàpp, bul sonal ab rab bu àll, doonte bu ndaw la, te doonte dafa mel ni dafa nelaw walla dafa dee.
- May ko bérab. Su nga ko gisee, dalal, dellu ginnaaw ndànk-ndànk te bàyyi ko mu dem yoonam.
- Su benn màttee la walla mu tuuf daŋar ci say bët: dalal, bul yëngu, woo sa nimerob urgence (112, 000, 911) walla dem lopitaan ci gaaw. Bul fàtte ni mu meloon, ab nataal dina dimbali.
Du la wut. Dafay jëfandikoo daŋaram ngir jàpp lu muy lekk walla ngir aar boppam, te nëbbu moo ko gën a neex. Yeneen ci ni ngay sàmme sa bopp
Ni mu réye?
Ni mu guddoo?
guddu na ni 2 muusu kër, bakkan ba geen
guddu na ni 6 banaana yu ñu toftale
mën na daw 100 meetar ci 52 segond (nit ki gën a gaaw soxla na 9,6)Rinkhals ni mu réye ci wetu YOW?
Ay waññ rekk ci sa navigateur. Dara du denc te dara du yónnee fenn.
Ni mu gaawe?
Xibaar
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
Tasukatu léeb
Xalaat bu juum: The rinkhals is a true cobra.
Dëgg: 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
Ngir boroom xam-xam ci daŋar
- Turu xam-xam
- Hemachatus haemachatus
- Mbooloo
- Kobra, mamba ak krait
- Njaboot
- Elapidae2
- Toftal
- Squamata
- Kontinaa yi
- Afrig
- Liir yi
- 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
- Musiba ci nit
- 3 / 5: Lu bon3
Fa xibaar yi jóge
- Rinkhals (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
- Hemachatus haemachatus (iNaturalist): tur ak ni ñu leen séddale.
- Venom Wiki: tolluwaayu musiba bi, réyaay bu yem bi ak xalaatu gaawaay bi, nun ñoo leen defar. Seetal ni nu leen waññe: Ni nuy natte musiba.
Xibaar bu nekk ci xët wii am na ab nimero buy won fa mu jóge. Su nu juumee, baal nu, nun ay nit ñu bëgg rab lanu, du ab jurnaalu xam-xam. Wax nu ko ci [email protected] te dinanu ko jubbanti.
Dafay xëpp walla tuuf

