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Half a century ago, Belgian Zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans first codified cryptozoology in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) are still on the track, and have been since 1992. But as if chasing unknown animals wasn't enough, we are involved in education, conservation, and good old-fashioned natural history! We already have three journals, the largest cryptozoological publishing house in the world, CFZtv, and the largest cryptozoological conference in the English-speaking world, but in January 2009 someone suggested that we started a daily online magazine! The CFZ bloggo is a collaborative effort by a coalition of members, friends, and supporters of the CFZ, and covers all the subjects with which we deal, with a smattering of music, high strangeness and surreal humour to make up the mix.

It is edited by CFZ Director Jon Downes, and subbed by the lovely Lizzy Bitakara'mire (formerly Clancy), scourge of improper syntax. The daily newsblog is edited by Corinna Downes, head administratrix of the CFZ, and the indexing is done by Lee Canty and Kathy Imbriani. There is regular news from the CFZ Mystery Cat study group, and regular fortean bird news from 'The Watcher of the Skies'. Regular bloggers include Dr Karl Shuker, Dale Drinnon, Richard Muirhead and Richard Freeman.The CFZ bloggo is updated daily, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Come and join us...

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Wednesday, July 09, 2014

KARL SHUKER: The Crowing Crested Cobra

Karl Shuker ponders over whether an unaccountably vocal, coxcombed mystery snake known as the crowing crested cobra may be a cryptozoological cockatrice.

Read on...
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3 comments:

Unknown said...


I am looking for any researchers interested in learning more about the Crowing Crested Cobra. I am located in northern Zimbabwe close to the Zambian border and we have a pair of these snakes living at our farm with many human encounters and audible crows almost every evening when they go out till early morning. Around 9pm or so they seem to go feeding or hunting in different directions. It's said the male passes right by our homestead and one can hear the crow around this time and also early morning between midnight and 3am on its way back.

The snake is described as having a crest like a cock and of making the same noise. It apparently does not kill and swallow its prey but instead waits for it to rot and feasts on the maggots.

These snakes are not unique at our farm only though as people from surrounding farms report pairs of these snakes resident in almost the majority of the small mountains in the area. Being territorial it seems the off-springs have to find their own territories or mountains to stay. In this area its referred to as "mubobo".

I have not personally seen the snake but have heard the crow many a times. From the description of those that have had encounters with these snakes they describe a very intelligent yet aggressive reptile that generally avoids human beings but can be very aggressive in sudden encounters. In several encounters it seems the snake likes to keep eye level with the human in such a way that it raises its height if the person gets up from a stooping position. The eyes are described as very huge for its head, some describing these as very red. With these reports of encounters and aggression we have not had reports of snake bites or deaths resulting from these specific snakes.

One common theme is the fact that before any of these encounters people experience a foul odor like the smell of bad eggs. Those that have had multiple encounters in specific places indicate that the snake sometimes hides behind a tree and continues around the tree as the human passes to avoid being seen.

The snakes nightly outings are well reported by its not clear whether these are hunts or some specific escapades. What is common is that they normally return before daybreak. In some rare cases reports of been made of snakes failing to make it to their hide out by daybreak and they find a shady tree nearby to coil themselves in.

While we have not been able to ascertain the average length people seem to report the snake being able to make at least 4 separate stacks of coils with their head the well hidden in our these four stacks in shady trees. This indicates a very long snake but no one has been able to estimate the length because of the sheer terror experienced by just seeing this animal.

The snake seems to have a cobra and also mamba traits. It can climb trees and likes to travel by jumping from tree to the next if vegetation permits. This snakes apparently also spits poisonous venom from a distance. Another common statement in our farming area is that it definitely doesn’t like dogs.

For those interested in research or an expedition this region might present the correct opportunity to finally get more details or even live images of this unique creature.

Please feel free to contact me at richin@live.com.


4:21 PM
Unknown said...


I am looking for any researchers interested in learning more about the Crowing Crested Cobra. I am located in northern Zimbabwe close to the Zambian border and we have a pair of these snakes living at our farm with many human encounters and audible crows almost every evening when they go out till early morning. Around 9pm or so they seem to go feeding or hunting in different directions. It's said the male passes right by our homestead and one can hear the crow around this time and also early morning between midnight and 3am on its way back.

The snake is described as having a crest like a cock and of making the same noise. It apparently does not kill and swallow its prey but instead waits for it to rot and feasts on the maggots.

These snakes are not unique at our farm only though as people from surrounding farms report pairs of these snakes resident in almost the majority of the small mountains in the area. Being territorial it seems the off-springs have to find their own territories or mountains to stay. In this area its referred to as "mubobo".

I have not personally seen the snake but have heard the crow many a times. From the description of those that have had encounters with these snakes they describe a very intelligent yet aggressive reptile that generally avoids human beings but can be very aggressive in sudden encounters. In several encounters it seems the snake likes to keep eye level with the human in such a way that it raises its height if the person gets up from a stooping position. The eyes are described as very huge for its head, some describing these as very red. With these reports of encounters and aggression we have not had reports of snake bites or deaths resulting from these specific snakes.

One common theme is the fact that before any of these encounters people experience a foul odor like the smell of bad eggs. Those that have had multiple encounters in specific places indicate that the snake sometimes hides behind a tree and continues around the tree as the human passes to avoid being seen.

The snakes nightly outings are well reported by its not clear whether these are hunts or some specific escapades. What is common is that they normally return before daybreak. In some rare cases reports of been made of snakes failing to make it to their hide out by daybreak and they find a shady tree nearby to coil themselves in.

While we have not been able to ascertain the average length people seem to report the snake being able to make at least 4 separate stacks of coils with their head the well hidden in our these four stacks in shady trees. This indicates a very long snake but no one has been able to estimate the length because of the sheer terror experienced by just seeing this animal.

The snake seems to have a cobra and also mamba traits. It can climb trees and likes to travel by jumping from tree to the next if vegetation permits. This snakes apparently also spits poisonous venom from a distance. Another common statement in our farming area is that it definitely doesn’t like dogs.

For those interested in research or an expedition this region might present the correct opportunity to finally get more details or even live images of this unique creature.

Please feel free to contact me at richin@live.com.


4:22 PM
Unknown said...


I am looking for any researchers interested in learning more about the Crowing Crested Cobra. I am located in northern Zimbabwe close to the Zambian border and we have a pair of these snakes living at our farm with many human encounters and audible crows almost every evening when they go out till early morning. Around 9pm or so they seem to go feeding or hunting in different directions. It's said the male passes right by our homestead and one can hear the crow around this time and also early morning between midnight and 3am on its way back.

The snake is described as having a crest like a cock and of making the same noise. It apparently does not kill and swallow its prey but instead waits for it to rot and feasts on the maggots.

These snakes are not unique at our farm only though as people from surrounding farms report pairs of these snakes resident in almost the majority of the small mountains in the area. Being territorial it seems the off-springs have to find their own territories or mountains to stay. In this area its referred to as "mubobo".

I have not personally seen the snake but have heard the crow many a times. From the description of those that have had encounters with these snakes they describe a very intelligent yet aggressive reptile that generally avoids human beings but can be very aggressive in sudden encounters. In several encounters it seems the snake likes to keep eye level with the human in such a way that it raises its height if the person gets up from a stooping position. The eyes are described as very huge for its head, some describing these as very red. With these reports of encounters and aggression we have not had reports of snake bites or deaths resulting from these specific snakes.

One common theme is the fact that before any of these encounters people experience a foul odor like the smell of bad eggs. Those that have had multiple encounters in specific places indicate that the snake sometimes hides behind a tree and continues around the tree as the human passes to avoid being seen.

The snakes nightly outings are well reported by its not clear whether these are hunts or some specific escapades. What is common is that they normally return before daybreak. In some rare cases reports of been made of snakes failing to make it to their hide out by daybreak and they find a shady tree nearby to coil themselves in.

While we have not been able to ascertain the average length people seem to report the snake being able to make at least 4 separate stacks of coils with their head the well hidden in our these four stacks in shady trees. This indicates a very long snake but no one has been able to estimate the length because of the sheer terror experienced by just seeing this animal.

The snake seems to have a cobra and also mamba traits. It can climb trees and likes to travel by jumping from tree to the next if vegetation permits. This snakes apparently also spits poisonous venom from a distance. Another common statement in our farming area is that it definitely doesn’t like dogs.

For those interested in research or an expedition this region might present the correct opportunity to finally get more details or even live images of this unique creature.

Please feel free to contact me at richin@live.com.


4:24 PM

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