Although it is found in several other African countries. the naturalist Wilhelm Peters described this snake in 1854 after discovering it in Mozambique, so Mozambique became part of its name. There are no subspecies.
This species is the most common cobra of the savanna regions of tropical and subtropical Africa. The distribution includes all of Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal, as far south as Durban, Mpumalanga Province Lowveld region, south-eastern Tanzania and Pemba Island, and west to far southeastern Angola and northeastern Namibia. Younger specimens are much more frequently encountered in the open at daytime. Unlike the Egyptian Cobra, this species prefers localities near water, to which it will readily take when disturbed.
Do you want to test your knowledge on the animals of the Kruger National Park?