The fascination of the cobra

Cobras are fascinating and frightening creatures. These snakes are most well known for their characteristic defense mechanism called hooding, when the sides of their neck flare out in a dramatic display. However, hooding isn’t the only defensive behavior in a cobra’s arsenal.

Some species of cobra have modified fangs with small, front facing orifices. These allow them to forcibly eject venom as a spray or “spit”, which can hit the eyes of a target up to 2.5 meters away. For this behavior, they are known as spitting cobras.