Albino cobra? It’s not albino, but captured snake is now at L.A. Zoo

A venomous white cobra that eluded capture for four days as it wandered through a Thousand Oaks neighborhood remained quarantined Friday at the Los Angeles Zoo and appeared to be “nervous,” officials said.

The cobra was found Thursday hiding beneath a stack of wood in the semi-rural yard where it was first spotted. It was then transported to the zoo, where it is receiving care.

“This is not a domesticated species,” said Ian Recchio, curator of reptile and amphibians at the zoo. “It’s very nervous.”

Caretakers are allowing the cobra to “settle down,” drink fresh water and find its own dark, cool corner before its likely move to the San Diego Zoo.

“It’s a living creature and we want to treat it with respect,” he said.

The San Diego Zoo has antivenom specifically for the cobra’s species -- necessary in case a handler is bitten -- which the L.A. Zoo doesn’t have, he said.

The monocled cobra, first believed to be albino, is actually leucistic, meaning it lacks all pigment, Recchio said. It has blue eyes instead of the red that characterize an albino.

Zookeepers examined the cobra and discovered it still had its poison glands.

Its belly was also full, meaning it likely fed on field mice or rodents just before it was caught, he said.

The cobra, native to Southeast Asia, was not microchipped, so identifying its owner will be challenging, officials said.

Authorities began searching for the cobra Wednesday after receiving a report that it had attacked a 7-year-old whippet name Teko on Labor Day in the 1300 block of Rancho Avenue.

The dog was injured during the attack and briefly hospitalized but is expected to make a full recovery.

The thought of a potentially lethal cobra on the loose in their upscale neighborhood left residents unnerved.

With the snake now under quarantine, authorities plan to continue looking for its owner, said Brandon Dowling, a spokesman for the L.A. County Department of Animal Care and Control.

Authorities have received a few leads, he said.

Residents believe a neighbor probably owned the pet, possibly illegally.

Owners of such reptiles are required to obtain an exotic animal permit from the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. The cobra’s owner could face a six-month jail sentence and a $1,000 fine for not having a permit.

Dangerous exotic pets are best seen in controlled environments, such as a zoo exhibit, Recchio said.

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