black spitting cobra - nairobi snake park, snakes of kenya

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 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. At the same time that 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 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.

Direction Drive 262.78 km or 4.38 hrs north west from last photo
Location Kisumu, East Africa, Kenya, Africa
Info F 5.6 1/6 ISO 400 with Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi
Country Kenya State East Africa
City Kisumu Weather Sunny
Continent Africa Day Kisumu
Activity Kisumu Museum Tour GAP (Great Adventure People)
Date 2007:09:20 16:54:06 Make Canon
Model Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi Width 3016
Height 1492 Flash Off, Did not fire
Focal 85.0 mm Exposure 1/6
F Number 5.6 ISO 400
White Bal. Auto Program Aperture-priority AE
Compensation 0 Hyperfocal 69.49 m
Latitude -0.108416666666667 Longitude 34.7628583333333
Altitude 72.39882698 m File Size 2.9 MB
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