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I came across the body of an adult Cape Cobra alongside my local gravel road here in Morningstar in October 2022. It appeared to have been the victim of a motor vehicle encounter. I left the body in situ for a number of months whilst decomposition took place. Cape Cobras are relatively common in our sandy environment.

Fortunately the local scavanging Pied Crows and Yellow Billed Kites left it largely alone and I was able to recover a number of ribs and vertebrae plus the upper part of the skull.

It's interesting to note that the only remaining skin was on the skull and I'm wondering if the snake could have expressed venom in it's final moments which could cause the agents of decomposition to steer clear.

The dehydrated venom glands appear to be there still, hence my use of the tweezers to handle the skull - not taking any chances, juuuust in case 😄

Whilst this specimen is long dead, I find it fascinating to be able to see what's happening inside the mouth of a cobra.