ABU DHABI // A wildlife centre has achieved a world first after successfully breeding the Arabian cobra in captivity.
Up to two metres long, the Arabian cobra is one of the largest venomous snakes in the Arabian region and is found in the highlands of Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.
Johannes Elf, the head of the herpetology and fresh water fish department at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife (BCEAW) in Sharjah, where the snakes were hatched, said it was a huge achievement. "Previously there was nothing known about these snakes, how they reproduced, and incubation," he said. "But we've monitored every aspect of the reproduction process."
Video:The birth of an Arabian Cobra
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Mr Elf said that part of the reason why the snakes had not been bred before was because they were difficult to find, often tucked away in hollow land."You may have one in your back garden and not even know about it," he said.
The other reason is the potential health risk they pose to researchers, he added.
"In order to work with venomous snakes, you really need to have a special interest in the field," he said. "There are not many people specialised in the field of venom."
The breeding process was not easy, Mr Elf said. In addition to taking extra precautions to make sure he was not bitten, such as limiting direct contact with the cobras by using a hook stick to guide the snakes, and having enough anti-venom serum handy, Mr Elf's second challenge was making sure the cobras did not consume each other.
"Male and female [Arabian cobras] can be cannibalistic," he said. "We have to observe them closely. Once we make sure that everything is OK, we can move forward with the breeding process."
The best way to boost the chances of reproduction, he said, was to replicate the snakes' natural setting, where they can comfortably move between hot and cooler climates. Interaction between the male and female cobras should also be limited, he said. For example, the cobras are apart when they are being fed. Once a female cobra is impregnated, it takes nearly a month and half before she lays her eggs, which are about 3.5cm wide and 6cm long.
Once the eggs are laid, the female cobra abandons them - leaving them to nature, or in this case, Mr Elf and his team of researchers, to make sure the eggs are in a healthy setting for them to hatch.
"The eggs need to be kept at a relatively humid setting," he said. After 59 days of incubation, 16 infant snakes hatched out of 19 eggs.
However people should not mistake these little creatures as harmless. "Many people think that newborn cobras are not dangerous," he said. "But from the moment they are born, their venom glands are mature enough to secrete [poisonous] venom."
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
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Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
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Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
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Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
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March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
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Key facilities
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Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
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Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
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Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now