RecoveryHigh hazard · Neurotoxic
Monocled cobra
Naja kaouthia
Alert, fast, and capable of striking upward from a hood at close to a third of its body length. Neurotoxic venom can progress to respiratory failure within hours, so airway support and antivenom access are the whole plan.
- Experience level
- Expert only
- Native range
- South and Southeast Asia
- Adult size
- 4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m)
- Lifespan
- 20+ years
Care sheet
| Adult enclosure | 6 x 2 x 2 ft, double-locked, shift box mandatory |
|---|---|
| Basking surface | 88–92°F (31–33°C) |
| Ambient | 78–84°F (26–29°C) |
| Humidity | 60–70% |
| Substrate | 3–4 in cypress mulch; they burrow and hide flat |
| Water | Large heavy bowl, remote service only |
| UVB | Optional, low output |
- Escape artists with strong necks. Every seam, vent and cable pass-through is a potential exit; inspect monthly and log the inspection.
- Highly alert and reactive to movement outside the glass — position the enclosure out of high-traffic sightlines.
- Elapids do not tolerate rough hook work; a hook plus a shift box and a tube for vet work is the standard kit.
Safety & bite protocol
- Never work alone, and never with an unlocked room door. Face shields are standard practice for spitting-capable animals in the same collection.
- Bite protocol: 911 immediately with species and antivenom name, pressure-immobilisation bandage is indicated for elapid bites, transport to a hospital with ventilator capability.
- Symptoms can be delayed and then progress fast — ptosis, difficulty swallowing or slurred speech mean intubation may follow.
- Confirm in advance which facility can obtain Thai Red Cross monovalent or a suitable polyvalent, and keep that written confirmation with your permits.
- Log every enclosure entry, shift and bite drill; permit inspectors and insurers both ask for that record.
Husbandry information only — not medical or legal advice. Permit rules, caging standards and antivenom availability differ by state, county and city.
Feeding
- Adults: one appropriately sized rat every 10–14 days.
- Feed with the animal shifted or with a full standoff distance and 36 in tongs; cobras follow food to the door.
- Never open an enclosure within two days of a missed feeding — food-motivated animals are at their most forward then.
Breeding tips
- Season
- Cool, drier winter rest, pair in spring
- Gestation / incubation
- 55–70 days at 82–86°F (28–30°C)
- Clutch / litter
- 16–33 eggs
- Permits, insurance, an antivenom plan and confirmed permitted placements come first — a 30-egg clutch of high-hazard elapids is not a hobby problem you solve later.
- Cycle with 6–8 weeks at 74–78°F and reduced humidity, then restore heat and misting.
- Pair with two keepers present and separate after locks; males can be aggressive toward females.
- Females guard their eggs and become markedly more defensive — plan a shift routine that avoids the nest entirely.
- Incubate in a purpose-built, locked incubator; hatchlings can and do escape standard containers.
Neonates
- Hatchlings are fully venomous, fast and prone to hooding — handle only with a hook and tongs, one animal at a time.
- Individually locked, hazard-labelled tubs; first meal after the initial shed, usually a fuzzy mouse.
- Record every transfer with the receiving keeper's permit number.
FAQ
Is a cobra ever appropriate for a first elapid?
Only after documented years of pit-viper experience under supervision, with permits, insurance and a confirmed antivenom pathway. Neurotoxic bites are time-critical in a way hemotoxic bites are not.
What does an apprenticeship record need to show?
Dated hours with named species and a supervising keeper's sign-off. The apprenticeship logbook in the app exports exactly that format for permit applications.
Keep the paperwork with the animal
Permits, liability insurance, vet records and apprenticeship hours all live in the venomous portal, with expiry alerts before anything lapses.