第 0061 號，共 1 402 號

Cape coral snake

Aspidelaps lubricus

名字的由來： The subspecies name cowlesi honours African-born American herpetologist Raymond Bridgman Cowles.1

需要看醫生很少致命，但被咬了需要看醫生。

眼鏡蛇、曼巴蛇和環蛇

咬吃：肉

對人的危險: 嚴重被咬了需要看醫生。死亡案例非常罕見。

The Cape coral snake is a small, slender venomous snake with bold red-orange to yellow colours and thick black rings. It lives in the dry Karoo and other arid parts of southern Africa, where it hunts mainly at night. Its bite can cause serious harm, so it is important to recognise it.1

分布在

Southern Africa: the Karoo and former Cape Province in South Africa, extending north into Namibia1

非洲

首頁

It mostly lives in very dry places such as deserts and rocky or sandy ground, with low, predictable rainfall and mostly shrubs and scrubs. During the day it often shelters under rocks or in burrows and tunnels.1

長度

49 cm 到 76 cm (1,6 ft 到 2,5 ft)1

最高速度

大約 6,2 km/h（3,9 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It is nocturnal and hunts mainly by smell and taste, leaving its burrow to search for nearby prey. It mostly eats lizards, and also legless skinks, small rodents and sometimes other snakes. It rears up towards prey, then strikes and injects venom.1

Cape coral snake 的照片 — Cape coral snake。照片：Ryan van Huyssteen。 CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist.

怎麼認出牠

Small and slender, about 49–61 cm long including the tail, sometimes up to 76 cm1
Colours range from red-orange to yellow1
Thick black rings run along the body, fully encircling the body but not the tail, with about 20–47 rings in total1
Very short head compared with the body, so the head stands out clearly from the neck1
An enlarged scale at the front of the snout, and a narrow hood just below the head, like other cobras1

常被誤認為： Its colour pattern slightly resembles that of some corn snakes. The narrow hood and short head are features that help separate it from them.1

毒液力量

咬

咬的時候，毒液會從毒牙或牙齒出來。

牠的毒液有什麼作用？

Its venom is neurotoxic, which means it attacks the nerves. Its composition is thought to be similar to that of true cobras (Naja). In a 2019 case, a man kept in captivity was bitten twice and developed vomiting, respiratory failure and paralysis within one hour, and his symptoms resolved after 12 hours of treatment.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 嚴重被咬了需要看醫生。死亡案例非常罕見。

Bites to humans are rarely documented. Reported effects range from no symptoms, to mild symptoms, to severe nerve effects and, in some cases, death. The effect may depend on the amount of venom injected and the patient's body weight.1

牠害怕時會做什麼？

When threatened, it rears up and then strikes.1

如果牠咬人

Severe cases needed mechanical ventilation (a breathing machine), and access to this is limited in many parts of southern Africa, so get medical help quickly after any bite.1
讓傷者保持不動和冷靜，取下戒指和緊身的東西，並趕快送醫院：抗毒血清就是治療方法。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠咬了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 4 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長可以在 58 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類需要 9.6 秒）

Cape coral snake 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一個正在走路的人 大約 5 km/h (3,1 mph)

Cape coral snake 大約 6,2 km/h (3,9 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 大約 12 km/h (7,5 mph)

值得知道

小知識

Its colour pattern is similar to that of some corn snakes, but its venom makes it far more dangerous.1

Hatchlings are already around 17–18 cm long, which is a large part of the adult size.1

In captivity it is exceptionally easy to breed.1

It is nocturnal, so most of its hunting happens at night.1

給毒液專家

學名: Aspidelaps lubricus
類群: 眼鏡蛇、曼巴蛇和環蛇
家人: Elapidae2
排序: Squamata
各大洲: 非洲
寶寶: It lays eggs. Captive females usually lay 3 to 11 eggs per clutch, sometimes several clutches per season, and the eggs hatch after about 65 days. Each hatchling is around 17–18 cm long.1
牠在野外的狀況: Not listed as threatened as of 2015. The main listed threat is being run over when crossing roads and highways.1
對人的危險: 3 / 5: 嚴重3