How does the generalized diet of *Naja nigricincta* affect its survival during a dry spell decimating amphibian numbers?
It is survivable as long as rodents or birds remain accessible.
Dietary flexibility is a significant factor contributing to the adaptability and resilience of the *Naja nigricincta* across various localized African environments. Because its diet spans different trophic levels, encompassing both ectotherms like amphibians and lizards, and endotherms like mammals and birds, the species is not critically dependent on any single resource. If environmental conditions, such as a severe dry spell, reduce the availability of one key prey group (like amphibians), the cobra can successfully subsist by shifting its foraging efforts toward the remaining accessible populations, such as rodents or birds. This capability to pivot between prey types minimizes the risk associated with resource scarcity that specialized feeders face.
