Scales & Tales 

with Sophie Mckee

October 2024

 Hello everybody, Sophie here with this month’s scaley creature, the monocled cobra. This is definitely not a native species but they are famous in Florida for another reason. These snakes are from India and lots of other countries in Southeast Asia. They get their name from the dark circle on the back of their neck that looks like a big eyeball when their hood is spread out.

Just like all cobras, these guys are highly venomous. In the country of Thailand, monocled cobras are responsible for more deaths than any other species of snake. That’s because they like to live in wet and grassy areas like rice paddies where there are also lots of rodents. Rice farming is still done by hand in that part of the world and this is where people and snakes usually run into each other. The cobra's brown bodies are really hard to see in the muddy water and if they are grabbed or stepped on, they’ll bite quickly.

The venom of a monocled cobra is a powerful neurotoxin which and paralyses whatever it bites. It can kill a rat in less than a minute and an adult human will die in under an hour unless treated with antivenom at a hospital. One vial of cobra antivenom can cost about $200 and a person might need as many as ten doses to survive. That is very hard to get for most poor farmers in the parts of Asia where these snakes live.

Some of you might have heard about these cobras in Florida after one got loose not far from here in Ocala back in 2017 and it was all over the news. Believe it or not, you can legally own these snakes in Florida. You have to get a license from Fish and Wildlife and first prove to them that you have enough training and experience with venomous reptiles. You also need a good reason to own them like running a zoo or educational program or collecting their venom. 

The owner of the escaped monocled cobra had permission to own it but let a friend take care of his animals while he was away for the weekend. The friend did not seal one cage properly and the cobra quickly escaped.  I have several non-venomous snakes of my own and this happens really easily. Trust me, snakes are a lot smarter than you think.

The monocled cobra was reported missing but they found it a few days later.  Fish and Wildlife decided to take the cobra and the owner’s other venomous reptiles from him and gave them to a much better run laboratory. The one in the photo belongs to our friend Jeremy who is an animal expert and is licensed to own just about anything at his rescue facility near Lake Okeechobee. I’ve learned a lot from him and would love to work at a place like his one day. 

Cobras are very cool animals but I would never even think about having one as a pet, even if it was easy to do. I’m very happy with my ball pythons and I don’t have to worry about being on the news if they get loose in the house. You should not see any cobra in Florida outside of a zoo. Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween and I’ll see you next month with another scaley creature.

Sophie Mckee

Oasis Middle School, Cape Coral