Juvenile Red Spitting Cobra, Naja pallida

Red 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). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 672 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Red Spitting Cobra - Naja pallida - Museum of Natural History - Picture taken by deror avi on 24th September 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 672 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Red Spitting Cobra - Naja pallida - Museum of Natural History - Picture taken by deror avi on 24th September 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 747 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Red Spitting Cobra - Naja pallida - Museum of Natural History - Picture taken by deror avi on 24th September 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 747 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Red Spitting Cobra - Naja pallida - Museum of Natural History - Picture taken by deror avi on 24th September 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 721 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Red Spitting Cobra - Naja pallida - Museum of Natural History - Picture taken by deror avi on 24th September 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 721 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Red Spitting Cobra - Naja pallida - Museum of Natural History - Picture taken by deror avi on 24th September 2006. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Egyptian Cobra Cobras are venomous snakes of family Elapidae, of several genera. ... It has been suggested that Snake poison be merged into this article or section. ... хÒChemosis is swelling (or edema) of the conjunctiva. ... The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber, providing most of an eyes optical power [1]. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light and, as a result, helps the eye to focus. ...

Despite their name, these snakes don't actually spit their venom. They rather spray the venom, using muscular contractions upon the venom glands. The muscles squeeze the glands and force the venom out the forward facing holes at the tip of the fang. Upon leaving the fang tip a large gust of air is expelled from the lung. The venom is propelled forward, mist-like, in the form of droplets. When cornered, some species can "spit" their venom up to a distance of two meters. While spitting is typically their primary form of defense, all spitting cobras are also 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. Hemotoxins are toxins that destroy red blood cells (hemolysis), disrupt blood clotting, and/or cause organ degeneration and generalized tissue damage. ... A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells – neurons – usually by interacting with membrane proteins and ion channels. ...

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)

Binomial name The Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica peters) is a type of cobra, native to Africa. ... Binomial name The Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica peters) is a type of cobra, native to Africa. ...

Other spitting species

Some non-spitting cobras have been noted to spit occasionally. Certain, predominantly non-spitting, Asian cobras do have the spitting tendency.^{[citation needed]} 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.

References

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

External links

• Video of an African Red Spitting Cobra spraying its venom.
• Video of an African Red Spitting Cobra feeding.