asp, anglicized form of aspis, name used in classical antiquity for a venomous snake, probably the Egyptian cobra, Naja haje. It was the symbol of royalty in Egypt, and its bite was used for the execution of favoured criminals in Greco-Roman times. Cleopatra is said to have killed herself with an asp (see also viper).
Why is it called Egyptian cobra?
The specific name the Egyptian cobra “haje” is the translation from the Arabic word hayya (حية) which literally means “snake”. Most ancient sources say that Cleopatra and her two attendants committed suicide by being bitten by an aspis, which translates into English as “asp”.
Are Egyptian cobras aggressive?
Endemic to northern and western Africa, the Egyptian cobra is a shy but extremely aggressive species that is renowned for its distinct coloration, potent venom, and unique behavioral patterns. It is also one of the most dangerous species in Africa, inflicting a number of deadly bites on unsuspecting humans each year.
What is the most venomous snake in Egypt?
- Field’s Horned Viper.
- Sahara Sand Viper. …
- Indian Saw-scaled Viper. …
- Egyptian Carpet Viper. …
- Painted Saw-scaled Viper. …
- Egyptian Cobra. …
- Red Spitting Cobra. …
- Black Desert Cobra. …
Who is the Egyptian god of snakes?
Apopis, also called Apep, Apepi, or Rerek, ancient Egyptian demon of chaos, who had the form of a serpent and, as the foe of the sun god, Re, represented all that was outside the ordered cosmos. Although many serpents symbolized divinity and royalty, Apopis threatened the underworld and symbolized evil.
Did they have cobras in ancient Egypt?
The cobra was a significant royal symbol in ancient Egypt. A rearing cobra, hood flared, ready to strike, was drawn and sculpted as an image called a uraeus, which refers to protection. … To placate the eye, the god placed it on his head, transforming the striking cobra into the sign for protection of kings.
Do Cobras live in Egypt?
The Egyptian cobra is another of Egypt’s most deadly snakes. It’s also one of the largest cobra species in all of Africa, ranging from 3 to 6 1/2 feet long. The telltale hood associated with this species is extended only when the snake is threatened or annoyed, at which point its spread reaches about half a foot wide.
How big do Egyptian cobras get?
naja, the Egyptian cobra is a favorite of snake charmers. The Egyptian cobra can grow to 8 feet (2.4 meters) long. Average length is 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters). The head is small and flat, with a rounded snout.
How long do Egyptian cobras live?
The average lifespan of an Egyptian cobra in the wild is 20-30 years.
What is the most venomous snake in the world?
The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) is considered the most venomous snake in the world with a murine LD 50 value of 0.025 mg/kg SC. Ernst and Zug et al. 1996 list a value of 0.01 mg/kg SC, which makes it the most venomous snake in the world in their study too.
Where is the most venomous snake in the world?
The coastal taipan is found in coastal regions of Northern and Eastern Australia and the nearby island of New Guinea. It produces venom that is almost identical to that of the inland taipan – considered to be the most venomous snake in the world.
What is the difference between a cobra and an asp?
As nouns the difference between cobra and asp
is that cobra is any of various venomous snakes of the family elapidae while asp is (archaic) a water snake or asp can be an aspen tree.
Does Egypt have pythons?
There is also the Egyptian Cobra (Naja haje haje) which is more than two meters in length and the smaller horned viper (Cerastes sp.). The gigantic African Rock Python (Python sebae) which was present in the Predynastic Period is no longer found in the country.
Where are cobras in Egypt?
Habitat. Naja haje occurs in a wide variety of habitats like, steppes, dry to moist savannas, arid semi-desert regions with some water and vegetation. This species is frequently found near water. The Egyptian cobra is also found in agricultural fields and scrub vegetation.
Are there snakes in Cairo?
Residents of compounds in New Cairo’s Fifth Settlement have reported multiple sightings of Treisha snakes, with many speculating that the near-infestation has been triggered by the poisoning of stray dogs, which in turn has increased the number and mobility of rodents – the snakes’ primary food.
What is the cobra god?
Wadjet, also spelled Wadjit, also called Buto, Uto, or Edjo, cobra goddess of ancient Egypt. Depicted as a cobra twined around a papyrus stem, she was the tutelary goddess of Lower Egypt. … The form of the rearing cobra on a crown is termed the uraeus.
Why did Egyptians worship cobra?
In Egyptian art, the cobra often represented the goddess Wadjet. Wadjet was a protective deity and daughter of the sun god, Re. Her job was essentially to help protect Egypt and the cosmos from chaos, the ultimate evil in Egyptian mythology.
Who is Horus Egyptian god?
Horus, Egyptian Hor, Har, Her, or Heru, in ancient Egyptian religion, a god in the form of a falcon whose right eye was the sun or morning star, representing power and quintessence, and whose left eye was the moon or evening star, representing healing.
Why were cobras important in ancient Egypt?
The cobra was adopted as protector of the king, and representations of the snake (referred to by Egyptologists as an uraeus), with its hood raised and ready to spit venom, sometimes adorn the brows of various kings.
What does a cobra symbolize?
Though a tattoo holds unique symbolism to each bearer, common meanings make a cobra tattoo desirable; it may represent protectiveness, intuitiveness, wisdom, strength, unpredictability, a defensive nature or even evil.
Are there many snakes in Egypt?
Egypt contains many snakes, but snakes are shy animals that attempt to avoid humans, and therefore are rarely found in populated areas that tourists visit.
What snakes lived in ancient Egypt?
There were over 30 different types of snakes in ancient Egypt. Most were harmless to humans. But some were very dangerous like the Egyptian cobra and the horned viper.
Does Egyptian cobra spit?
The Snouted cobra is a large robust snake, which can be found in arid savanna, wooded areas where they often take refuge in trees as well as along river beds. They do not spit/spray their venom.
Is a cobra a Viper?
As nouns the difference between viper and cobra
is that viper is a venomous snake in the family viperidae while cobra is any of various venomous snakes of the family elapidae .
Is an asp bite fatal?
According to Plutarch, Cleopatra tested various deadly poisons on condemned people and concluded that the bite of the asp (from aspis—Egyptian cobra, not European asp) was the least terrible way to die; the venom brought sleepiness and heaviness without spasms of pain.
What color is an asp snake?
The Asp viper is a venomous snake that occurs in southwestern Europe. The head of this snake is broad, triangular and quite distinct from the neck. The tip of the snout is slightly but distinctly upturned. Males are generally grey in color while the females can be grey, brown and various shades of orange.
Why do Cobras have hoods?
The cobra’s hood is created by many elongated ribs that are capable of extending the looser skin on the neck outwards. … Cobras do this whenever they are disturbed or feel that they are in danger. By doing so they can make themselves look larger than they really are and potentially unnerve a predator or foe.
What is the difference between an ASP and a snake?
As nouns the difference between snake and asp
is that snake is a legless reptile of the sub-order serpentes with a long, thin body and a fork-shaped tongue while asp is (archaic) a water snake or asp can be an aspen tree.
Which snake has killed the most humans?
The saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) may be the deadliest of all snakes, since scientists believe it to be responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined.
What snake kills the fastest?
Black mamba
The fastest snake in the world is also one of the deadliest. The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) can move at speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour (5.5 meters per second), and its bite can kill a human being in less than 30 minutes.
What snake kills the most humans each year?
The saw-scaled viper is estimated to kill about 5,000 people every year – more than any other kind of snake. The Inland Taipan is native to central Australia, while the saw-scaled viper can be found in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, parts of the Middle East and Africa, north of the equator.
Which is the fastest snake in the world?
After the king cobra, the black mamba is the longest venomous snake in the world. It is also the fastest-moving snake in the world, reaching up to 23km/h. The snake although called Black Mamba is not black at all!
What is the most venomous snake in the world 2021?
- Rattle Snake. This snake is easily recognize due to rings made at the end of its tail. …
- Inland Taipan. This snake is found on the ground and is the most venomous. …
- Eastern Brown Snake. …
- Blue Krait. …
- Taipan. …
- Black Mamba. …
- Tiger Snake. …
- Philippine Cobra.
What countries have no snakes?
- Ireland.
- Iceland.
- New Zealand.
- Cape Verde.
- Many small Pacific island nations: Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, and the Marshall Islands.
Why is a king cobra not a cobra?
The king cobra is not considered to be a true cobra species, such as the other cobras in the Naja genus; instead, it belongs to its own genus, Ophiophagus. Its genus name was derived based on its proclivity for eating other snakes, and it is known to attack larger snakes, including pythons.
What is a cobras predator?
Crocodiles and large fish consume anything in their reach that looks small enough to swallow; hawks and eagles are known to consume cobras when the opportunity presents itself; and humans have been eating snakes for millennia, venomous or not. Large cobras are especially poetic predators of spitting cobras.
Are ASPS real?
The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) is a venomous snake also known as the Asp is one of the largest cobra species found in the African continent second only to the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca). The species is also known by other common names like African banded cobra, banded cobra, brown cobra or Arabian cobra.
Is Anubis Osiris son?
When kings were being judged by Osiris, Anubis placed their hearts on one side of a scale and a feather (representing Maat) on the other. … Anubis is the son of Osiris and Nephthys.