Shield-nosed Cobra — Fact Sheet
Aspidelaps scutatus · Shield-nosed Cobra
📋 At a glance
| Adult size | 40-60 cm |
| Lifespan | Insufficient species-specific data |
| Subspecies | scutatus / intermedius / fulafulus; retain origin |
| Origin | See the locality-specific map and climate in the full guide |
| Activity | Nocturnal |
| Difficulty | Expert |
| Legal | No specific CITES or EU wildlife-trade listing was found for this species. Its native range is outside the Bern Convention’s European protection context. Absence from these trade lists does not establish lawful export or possession. |
🏠 Enclosure
One adult: 90 × 50 × 50 cm as a practical starting enclosure, enlarged for the actual animal. Relative humidity 40–60%, with fresh water, local moisture and dry resting areas. Locked enclosure and room, a secure isolation compartment, protected servicing and separate quarantine for at least 90 days.
After quarantine, provide 10–15 cm of diggable, slightly compactable soil and washed sand as a provisional depth, with a secure artificial burrow. Keep most surfaces dry and one locally moist retreat. Fix all heavy décor on the enclosure base before adding substrate, so digging cannot collapse it. Never reach into apparently empty substrate.
🪨 Substrate and furnishings
- After quarantine, provide 10–15 cm of diggable, slightly compactable soil and washed sand as a provisional depth, with a secure artificial burrow. Keep most surfaces dry and one locally moist retreat. Fix all heavy décor on the enclosure base before adding substrate, so digging cannot collapse it. Never reach into apparently empty substrate.
💡 Lighting
- Provide 12–14 hours of visible light in the active season and darkness at night. Keep full shade available. No species-specific UVB optimum is established; if low-level UVB is used, measure exposure and review the arrangement with the veterinarian using the UV-Tool reference. Guard lamps and adjust seasonal day length gradually, in step with the approved winter plan.
🌡️ Temperature
Provisional active-season targets, not proven optima or safety limits. Outdoor climate averages are not enclosure settings; seasonal changes require the documented origin and veterinary review.
- Basking spot: 28-30 °C
- Warm zone: 24-27 °C
- Cool zone: 22-24 °C
- Night: 20-23 °C
💧 Humidity and water
Air humidity: 40–60%.
Measure relative humidity near the resting animal, using the table as a provisional band. Keep a slightly moist refuge alongside dry resting surfaces; avoid wetting the whole floor. Ventilation and local moisture are more useful than chasing a single percentage. Supply fresh water continuously in a stable bowl, serviced only after isolation. Persistent poor sheds require a hydration and health review, not forced soaking or peeling.
🪳 Feeding
Primary natural-history work records frogs, snakes and mammals, with variation between sexes and localities. Obtain a reliably established feeder; acceptance of thawed whole mice is useful but not guaranteed. For adults already taking rodents, modest prey every 7–10 days is a provisional starting point; juveniles need smaller meals and a growth-based plan. Do not collect wild frogs or snakes, and do not house prey snakes with the animal. Refusal warrants review of shelter, temperature, season and health before veterinary intervention.
☠️ Venom
Bite severity varies; a small wound or an apparently dry bite does not exclude delayed envenoming.
Neurotoxic envenoming can cause weakness, paralysis and respiratory failure, potentially with little local injury. Aspidelaps bites have caused fatalities. There is no specifically labelled Aspidelaps antivenom; experimental neutralisation of tested intermedius venom by SAIMR polyvalent does not establish reliable clinical protection for every subspecies or bite. Immediate hospital care and access to respiratory support matter more than the snake’s small size.
Call emergency services immediately, keep the person still, remove rings and tight items, and support the limb without compression. Do not cut, suck, apply ice or a tourniquet, or delay transport to capture the snake. Establish receiving-hospital and poison-centre arrangements before acquisition. Antivenom selection and administration belong to clinicians.
🩺 Health — warning signs
Persistent exposed resting or attempts to escape the warm zone warrant an immediate temperature check. Wheezing, bubbles or open-mouth breathing suggest respiratory disease; abnormal belly scales may indicate dermatitis. Repeated poor sheds, regurgitation, weight loss or abnormal faeces require a reptile veterinarian to distinguish dehydration, dietary problems, parasites and other illness. Do not deworm or restrain a venomous snake yourself; arrange secure professional transport.