Rinkhals

species of reptile

The rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus) is a species of venomous snake found in parts of southern Africa. It is in the family Elapidae. It is not a true cobra in that it does not belong to the genus Naja, but instead belongs to the monotypic genus Hemachatus. While rinkhals bear a great resemblance to true cobras they also possess some remarkable differences from these, resulting in their placement outside the genus Naja.

A Rinkhals specimen