Los Angeles Zoo officials announced the addition of a pair of Cape cobras, a highly venomous species found across southern Africa.
“We’re really excited to welcome this species of snake to the collection for the first time,” said Ian Recchio, curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Griffith Park zoo.
“Our visitors often ask if we have cobras because they are a popular and highly-recognizable species of snake, and now we can offer our guests the chance to safely view one of nature’s most unique animals,” he said.
The zoo also announced it has experienced a reptile “baby boom” in recent weeks with the birth of 50 snake babies representing six different species. The new snakes were unveiled Tuesday, Dec. 20, at the Living Amphibians, Reptiles, and Invertebrates exhibit.
The list of snake babies includes Armenian vipers, black-tailed horned vipers, Catalina rattleless rattlesnakes, Aruba Island rattlesnakes, Baja California rat snakes and Southwest speckled rattlesnakes.
Zoo officials credited the baby boom to years of preparation and work by staffers dedicated to understanding and raising rare and endangered snake species.
“The baby boom we are experiencing now is the result of years of observation, tinkering with new breeding tactics and doing our best to mimic a snake’s natural habitat in the wild,” Recchio said.