# Cape cobra (*Naja nivea*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/cape-cobra  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The cape cobra (Naja nivea) is a snake in the family Elapidae, part of the suborder Serpentes within the order Squamata of the reptiles. Its lifespan is given as 24.8 years, with values of up to 26 years reported by our sources. A litter or clutch numbers 11.5 young or eggs, and egg incubation lasts 57.5 days. The IUCN Red List assesses the cape cobra globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | up to 1.12 kg |
| Length | up to 2.3 m |
| Lifespan | 24.8 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 26 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | desert, shrubland |
| Egg incubation | 57.5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 11.5 – 14 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Squamata
- family: Elapidae
- genus: Naja
- species: *Naja nivea* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Coluber niveus*, *Naia flava*, *Naja flava*, *Naja gutturalis*, *Naja haje var. capensis*, *Naja intermixta*, *Vipera flava*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the cape cobra?

The cape cobra is a snake, a reptile in the family Elapidae and the genus Naja.

### What is the scientific name of the cape cobra and who named it?

The scientific name is Naja nivea, with the authority written as (Linnaeus, 1758).

### Is the cape cobra endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List assesses it globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a cape cobra live?

Its lifespan is given as 24.8 years, and our sources report values of up to 26 years.

### How many eggs does a cape cobra have?

A litter or clutch numbers 11.5 young or eggs.

### How long do Cape cobra eggs take to hatch?

The egg incubation period is 57.5 days.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4), CC BY 4.0, v1-2. Oskyrko, O., Mi, C., Meiri, S. et al. (2024) ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles. Scientific Data 11: 243. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03079-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4
- [SquamBase 1.0 - a dataset of squamate species traits](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.76hdr7t3b), CC0 1.0, 1.0-dryad-v5. Meiri, S. (2024) SquamBase - a database of squamate (Reptilia: Squamata) traits. Global Ecology and Biogeography 33(4): e13812. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13812. Data: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.76hdr7t3b
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Cape cobra (Naja nivea). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/cape-cobra