what was your first Naja?

I am curious to see what naja species everyone "started out" with as there 1st. I have not kept any myself and I am continuosly gaining interest in them. I like the spitter varieties and if anyone has any personal tips on which is the easiest to get started with or there personal favorite let me know. Thanks

Hi Mike

Interesting question.
I started with a medium sized Naja naja, followed by juveniles of Naja haje (legionis phase) and Naja nivea.
Actually, i didn't like cobras at all before, not to say they scared me to death with their outstanding defensive behaviour - they seemed to me too dangerous to keep.
But i was wrong, and things - as often in one's life - came along completely different.
Starting a public reptile zoo in the early nineties, this couldn't be done with true vipers and rattlesnakes alone (which were my favourites then) and it was about time to keep cobras and mambas as well.
These snakes of the genus Naja are part of my live today - a passion of mine - and the love (and the collection) still grows.
I'm far away from giving tips one should start with cobras or not or which species could be the best.
I wouldn't start with large, adults and sometimes agressive species as Naja melanoleuca - maybe juveniles of some species will be good to find a slow and relatively safe entry.

Best regards
Peter

Guest

I started with a baby N.kaouthia and grew with it. (He is the one one my avatar). Cobras are just amazing creatures, I totally understand how people actually worship them. I have kept suphanensis, pallida and legionis after the kaoithia. To my experience N.pallida was quite easy to keep. The cb babies I got were spitting at the start but after a while they stopped completely. The only problem with pallida is that they have a very narrow hood and do not even display it after they got used to you. Their amazing color somewhat compensates for that. My only problem with the pallida was also why I got rid of them.I hate to walk in the snake room with a face mask on. The only snake I can tolerate a face mask in the future is samarensis. They just look amazing. Since you like the spitters, I would start with a pallida as they are less aggressive compared to samarensis for example and a lot cheaper. Get a baby or two to start with but beware of the nasty nasty cytotoxic venom. Does not feel good to have some in your eye and I am sure it wouldn`t feel any better in your veins.

These days I seem to like Death Adders (Acanthophis sp.) a tiny bit better but nothing matches the glory of a true cobra for sure.

Weel, i started with a adult pair of Naja atra, and soon after came a polyocellata,melanoleuca, and haje. No splitters.
I just missed my melanoleuca.....and now would like to have N. nivea.
R.

I startet with Naja siamensis. My 2,1 are very calm and don´t spit.

One year later I get my Naja samarensis.
Last year I get 1,1 Naja pallida, they only spit in small boxes, like my 4 Hemachatus haemachatus...

If you like spitting cobras I think Naja siamensis is a good way to start!

Hi Mike,
The first for me, was a year old, 80cm N. kaouthia, which could be easily worked with two hooks, even when she wasn't in the mood. :-) I haven't kept many cobras so far, but kaouthia was the one recommended by my more experienced friends. Good luck!
Maciej

Nice question!
My first Naja was a adult WC of N. siamensis (in this time traded as N. atra) from Thailand then I got some aditional CB N. siamensis from a German Naja breeder. After this I got some N. ,,suphanensis´´and N. ,,isanensis´´ (both only trade Names! I don´t remember what it is now! The was creamy-olive and the others brown in coloration) both spitters! Then I got N. naja from Sri Lanka and N.n. nigricollis from an Austrian Zoo. My last one was N. pallida. After this I´ll keep nearly exclusivly Vipers from Europe and the midddle East. Sometimes I break with this line, and keep some other (Bungarus, Walterrinesia, Acanthophis, Croatus, Trimeresurus s.l.,Agkistrodon............etc. and a lot of non venomous snakes too.

Peter van Issem wrote:: Nice question!
After this I got some N. ,,suphanensis´´and N. ,,isanensis´´ (both only trade Names! I don´t remember what it is now! The was creamy-olive and the others brown in coloration) both spitters!

Naja "suphanensis" should be Naja kaouthia - spitting in this species is very rare - almost none.
Naja "isanensis" should be Naja siamensis from northeastern Thailand - these surely spit.

I would be interested in seeing pitures of your Isan cobras - if you have any. This geographic colour variation has become rare in european collections in the last few years.

Best regards
Peter

Hi Peter,
I don´t have anny pictures of them. Because I was 17 and in School and have had only money for snkes not for a camera in this time of my life Laughing

I bought them from a private breeder at this time, we don´t have had Internet or Expos like today. Then now it is nearly 25 years ago. Sorry!

Thanks for all of your responses! N. Siamenses has actually been the species that I have been looking to get. The size that is availible to me is the baby to 2ft size. How are they kept? Temp? Humidity ect. Thanks mike

My first elapid was a large male Naja naja from Peter Pastor – I still have him today, he’s over 6ft in length and a diamond! One of my favorite cobra’s.

Funnily enough, my first Naja also came from Peter Pastor! A Sri Lankan Naja naja. She started out really timid, then went through a phase of being really bad tempered, now she will only hood up if you happen to walk in the room and take her by surprise. She must be nearly 6' and about 2kg weight. A real pleasure to keep

Hi

At the beginning of my "venomous snake time" i was much more into vipers, but the cobra fever got me too, they have such a great behaviour.

My first one was N. mossambica, but i would also say N. siamensis as easier to start with, but in my case it could also just be the normal difference in "personal behaviour" from my individual animals.

Cheers

Guest

Mike i think we talked about it, but i started with a n. haje and a n. atra. They were both kept by a friend for a long time and presented to me as a gift. Haje is my absolute fav. elapid. Once they acclimate to you they are very loyal animals.

Guest

Didnt i tell you Peters avatar was one of the best examples of any cobra ssp. period.

Guest

Hi, I started with adult pair of N. mossambica, it was 2 years ago and I was terrified of size those snakes... Female measured more than 170 cm, male about 120 cm. Before them I kept venomous snakes about 3-4 years and I just felt it's good moment to start with Elapidae. Now with experience from working with 7 spiecies of cobras I can say that every snake from Naja kind is completely different and surprising.

My first Elapid was a 5ft. Albino Kaouthia male. The animal was owned by my professor and was the first Elpaid to work with and he eventually gave the animal to me. The first time I handled any venomous was with my Professors and it was a very old Palestine viper that sounded like a train coming with all that huffing and puffing, now that had my blood pumping. I knew when I hooked the Kaouthia that I would work with cobras from there on out and I have and have never turned away. They are majestic especially the Leucistics.

My first Naja were an Albino and a Normal Naja kaouthia, and a Pakistan Naja naja. All were purchased at the same time from the same guy. They were all 2 years old.

Shortly after, I got a huge female Naja annulifera, then an adult pair of Sri Lankan naja.

Randy

Piotr Przybylski wrote:: Hi, I started with adult pair of N. mossambica, it was 2 years ago and I was terrified of size those snakes... Female measured more than 170 cm, male about 120 cm.

Do you have a picture? 170cm is huge. Its not that I dont believe you., but Id like to see one that size.

Guest

i started with naja kaouthia, back in 2001, it was also my first venomous snake.

Guest

Rob Deans - Hi, Yes, I do I will send you photograph on PM.

Rob Deans wrote:

Piotr Przybylski wrote:: Hi, I started with adult pair of N. mossambica, it was 2 years ago and I was terrified of size those snakes... Female measured more than 170 cm, male about 120 cm.

Do you have a picture? 170cm is huge. Its not that I dont believe you., but Id like to see one that size.

Also my first Naja was a mossambica. Still one of my favorites. I got a adult male (aprox. 130cm) and a female CB 2009 and just 45cm. Secretly i hope that my female gets up to 170cm... that would be great! Very Happy

a little video of my male Naja mossambica:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxDAgf2efe4

Guest

Niels van den Hooff - nice male, I can see he is very calm on the movie but, generally does he spit ? I have to say that, so big N. mossambica is very impressive. My cobras usually don't spit, they prefer to run away.

Piotr Przybylski wrote:: Niels van den Hooff - nice male, I can see he is very calm on the movie but, generally does he spit ? I have to say that, so big N. mossambica is very impressive. My cobras usually doesn't spit, they prefer to run away.

Thank you Piotr!
Most of the time he is very calm and doesn't spit. Last year in September I moved to a new house and after i moved him to his new enclosure he did spit. A few month later he had a bad day and did spit again. Those two "spit-times" where probably the only days that he had a bad day.

Guest

Yes, It sometimes just happens. It depends of mood in given day.

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