Studies Reveal That Humankind Are More Familiar With The Cobra Snake Generations Than With Any Other Species Or Subspecies In The Venomous Or Non-Venomous Serpent Categories


Statistics indicate that people are more familiar with the cobra snake family than with any other species or subspecies in the poisonous or non-poisonous serpent categories. Tropical lands and desert areas make the beloved habitat for the cobra snake, which explains why this snake is widely spread in the arid lands of Asia and Africa. The element to have rendered them so popular is the threatening body position they assume when danger is near: a cobra snake, which has a perfectly symmetrical head otherwise, will flatten the head and push it towards the back in a menacing way when it considers itself in danger. Another thing the cobra snake owes its reputation to is the performance of cobra charming tricks by Indian snake masters.

A more special diversity in this snake group is the spitting cobra that, besides biting, will spray venom into the eyes of aggressors or prey. The contact with the eyes can be very painful and even blinding, therefore, in case your eyes get disclosed to cobra snake venom, wash them out quickly so as to minimize permanent damage to the tissues. The King cobra snake also stands apart in this large serpent family by the fact that it feeds almost completely on other snakes, with mice and small birds also falling prey to its venom.

The incredible size is one other record the King cobra snake sets: it can grow as long as seventeen feet, which makes it the largest venomous snake on the globe. A new species was discovered in our times, in 2003 to be more exact, when a specimen was identified at a London Zoo as belonging to an illegal transport of exotic pets. According to DNA studies this new species resembles the red spitting cobra snake but shows major differences in the genetic structure. It apparently originates from an area between Sudan and Egypt, which is why scientists gave it the old name of this geographic location, Nubian spitting cobra.

Though highly fatal when it senses a threat, a cobra snake will not attack if you leave it in peace. If compared to the strike of a rattlesnake, the cobra is pretty slow in ambush, and many bites prove blank without envenomation. Research conducted on Malaysian cobra snake victims shows that only 55% of the bites had venom release too. Yet, the same study indicates a 10% risk of death for people bitten by a cobra snake, since the toxic compounds sent in the blood of the prey are devastating the nerves and inducing respiratory failure half an hour after being bitten.

Finding hiding places is part of snakes' nature, they are pretty solitary creatures that do not pose any risk unless fear an attack. For instance, many house owners know there could be snakes in their gardens, but haven't seen any. If you love gardening it is possible to come across the skins they leave behind, otherwise they are well hidden in the background and avoid human proximity that chances to see them are pretty rare. Garden snakes are dull colored, either in tans and shades of brown, pale yellow, khaki or green, both humans and large animals like pets will scare them. The only problem is when you have poisonous garden snakes, then you are in trouble, and most often, professional assistance is necessary to capture and move them in a wild habitat.

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