What is the common practice for the primary staple diet in the captive care of *Naja nigricincta*?
Answer
Appropriately sized rodents, such as mice or small rats
In professional captive settings, handlers must balance mimicking the natural diet with practical considerations, particularly concerning the danger associated with handling wild prey for a venomous species. A standard and necessary practice in captive care involves feeding appropriately sized rodents, commonly mice or small rats, as the foundation or primary staple of the diet. While supplemental feeding with items like chicks or amphibian substitutes may reflect natural variation, the reliable, consistently sized rodent remains the most common and necessary primary food source provided to maintain the health of captive *Naja nigricincta* specimens.

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