Spitting cobra

Spitting cobra

Spitting cobra refers to any one of several species of cobras that have the ability to spit or eject venom from their mouth when defending themselves against predators. The spit venom is harmless to intact skin. However, it can cause permanent blindness if introduced to the eye and left untreated (causing chemosis and corneal swelling).

Despite their name, these snakes do not actually spit their venom. They spray the venom, using muscular contractions upon the venom glands. These muscles squeeze the glands and force the venom out through forward facing holes at the tips of the fangs. As the venom leaves the fang tip, a large gust of air is expelled from the lung which aerosolizes the venom and propels it forward. When cornered, some species can "spit" their venom a distance as great as two meters. While spitting is typically their primary form of defense, all spitting cobras are capable of delivering venom through a bite as well. Most species' venom exhibit significant hemotoxic effects, along with more typical neurotoxic effects of other cobra species.

Species of the spitting cobras

*Black-Necked Spitting Cobra ("Naja nigricollis")
*Black Spitting Cobra ("Naja woodi")
*Western Barred Spitting Cobra ("Naja nigricincta")
*Red Spitting Cobra ("Naja pallida")
*Mozambique Spitting Cobra ("Naja mossambica")
*Malaysian Spitting Cobra ("Naja sputatrix")
*Black and White Spitting Cobra ("Naja siamensis")
*Sumatran Spitting Cobra ("Naja sumatrana")
*Nubian Spitting Cobra ("Naja nubiae")
*Large Brown Spitting Cobra ("Naja ashei")
*West African Brown Spitting Cobra ("Naja katiensis")

Other spitting species

Some non-spitting cobras and vipers have been noted to spit occasionally. Certain, predominantly non-spitting, Asian cobras have the spitting tendency.Fact|date=April 2007 The Rinkhals cobra ("Hemachatus haemachatus") is another elapid species, which while not belonging to the Cobra genus "Naja", is closely related, and is capable of spitting venom.

It has been reported that several viper species (notably the Mangshan Pitviper) may "fling" or even spit venom forward in a spray when threatened.

References

*Greene, Harry W. (1997) "Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature". University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, California.

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pjg9PTL5V0 Video] of an African Red Spitting Cobra spraying its venom.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF5clCr1Vs4 Video] of an African Red Spitting Cobra feeding.
* [http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071207/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_kenya_cobra Yahoo News] Record-size spitting cobra found in Kenya.


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  • spitting cobra — n BLACK NECKED COBRA also an African cobra (Hemachatus hemachatus) that in defense typically ejects its venom toward the victim without striking * * * any of several cobras that have a venom canal opening forward in the fangs, so that the snake… …   Medical dictionary

  • spitting cobra — n. any of various cobras, esp. the ringhals and a small, black necked African cobra (Naja nigricollis), that spray jets of venom at the eyes of an aggressor …   English World dictionary

  • spitting cobra — noun an African cobra that defends itself by spitting venom from the fangs. [N. nigricollis and other species.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • spitting cobra — noun aggressive cobra widely distributed in Africa; rarely bites but spits venom that may cause blindness • Syn: ↑black necked cobra, ↑Naja nigricollis • Hypernyms: ↑cobra • Member Holonyms: ↑Naja, ↑genus Naja …   Useful english dictionary

  • spitting cobra — any cobra or cobralike snake, esp. the ringhals, that sprays venom at the eyes of approaching animals. [1905 10] * * * …   Universalium

  • spitting cobra — noun Date: 1910 any of several cobras (as Naja nigricollis and Hemachatus haemachatus of Africa) that in defense typically eject their venom toward the victim without striking …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • spitting cobra — noun Any of various cobras of the genus Naja that can spit venom …   Wiktionary

  • Red Spitting Cobra — Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum …   Wikipedia

  • Mozambique Spitting Cobra — or Mfezi In Kruger National Park, South Africa Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • Equatorial Spitting Cobra — Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Repti …   Wikipedia

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