Cobra stands its ground against a snake eagle.
In Africa, it helps to be snake aware whenever you are in the wilderness. Because the Dark Continent is probably home to more venomous snake species than anywhere else on Earth. One of the species that calls the backcountry home is the snouted cobra.
While this species is not as well known as some other cobra species, it is still highly venomous, which is enough for most animals to give it a wide berth.
One animal that does not fear it is the brown snake eagle. This bird of prey is perfectly adapted for killing some of the world's most deadly serpents and it often does so without mercy. In this video, one tries to take out a snouted cobra and it makes for a tense standoff.
This footage was shot in South Africa's Kruger National Park. Snake eagles are quite common all over Africa. They have been documented killing famously deadly reptiles like the spitting cobra, and the legendary boomslang. Even the legendary black mamba has been counted among its many victims.
The snouted cobra is one of the smaller venomous snakes in Africa. It is usually between three and five feet in length. You still do not want to get bitten by one, as we are sure this eagle did not either. Either the bird got bored, or the snake managed to intimidate it just enough to get it to call off the attack. In the end, it seems that this just happened to be this cobra's lucky day.
Snake eagles also eat other small animals like lizards, amphibians, and smaller birds, but it seems that snakes are their favorite meal. The birds have extra thick skin on their legs which can help protect them in case of bites from Africa's most dangerous snakes.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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