The specific epithet, christyi, is in honor of Dr. Cuthbert Christy, who led several biological expeditions to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[7] N. christyi is found most commonly in or near water, in lowland bushy or wooded areas along banks of lakes, rivers, and streams.

It is limited to the lower Congo River and nearby wet forested areas.

It tends to hide amongst rocks, in holes or overhanging tree roots at the shore line.

[6] N. christyi is an oviparous species, but mating season and number of eggs laid is not known.

The individual had only mild symptoms (headache, local pain), but this species is capable of causing serious envenomation of humans.

[8] Venoms of the water cobras, were assayed for lethality, proteolytic activity and protein content.

Elucidation of the complete amino acid sequences indicated that these toxins belonged to the short-chain class of postsynaptic neurotoxins.

Short-chain neurotoxins 1 from N. a. annulata and N. christyi had murine intraperitoneal LD50 of 0.052 and 0.083 mg/kg, respectively, and showed over 80% homology with N. nigricollis alpha toxin.

Reverse-phase analysis of another peak present in both venoms resolved a toxin that had an N-terminus identical to N. christyi short-chain neurotoxin 1.

These fractions also contained toxins readily separable from the short-chain isotoxin by preparative reverse-phase chromatography.

Amino acid sequencing of the first 28 residues indicated that both toxins were long-chain neurotoxins with identical N-termini.

The venoms of these little-known elapids have the lowest intraperitoneal LD50 of any African Naja species studied thus far and have high concentrations of potent postsynaptic neurotoxins.