Statistics indicate that people are more familiar with the cobra snake family than with any other snake group or subgroup 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. These serpents have got so very great by the threatening body position they get when sensing danger: a cobra snake, which has a regular symmetrical head when in a tolerant mood, will flatten the head and push it towards the back in a menacing way when it considers itself in danger. Another peculiarity the cobra snake owes its reputation to is the snake charming tricks performed by Indian serpent breeders.

A more special variety in this snake group is the spitting cobra that, besides biting, will spray venom into the eyes of aggressors or prey. The eye contact with the venom toxins can cause not just pain but blindness too, 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 distinguishes itself in this large serpent family by its feeding specificity, since it eats almost only other snakes, with mice and small birds accidentally turning into a meal.

The incredible size is one other history the King cobra snake sets: it can get up to seventeen feet long, which makes it the the biggest poisonous snake on the globe. A new species was discovered in our times, in 2003 to be more exact, when a strange cobra snake was identified at a London Zoo as part of an illegal transport of exotic pets. DNA studies revealed that this new species resembles the red spitting cobra snake but shows major differences in the genetic structure. It seems to come from an area between Sudan and Egypt, and it was given the name of Nubian spitting cobra.

Although the risk of getting bitten is high in the attendance of a venomous specimen, a cobra snake will not attack if you let it be. If compared to the strike of a rattlesnake, the cobra isn't too fast when attacking, and many bites fail to touch the prey or do not result in envenomation. A study conducted on Malaysian cobra snake victims indicates that only 55% of the wounds involved venom release too. Yet, the same research indicates a 10% risk of death for people bitten by a cobra snake, since the toxic compounds eliminated in the blood of the prey are affecting the nerves and inducing respiratory failure half an hour after being bitten.

Snakes likemasking places, they are pretty solitary creatures that do not harm anyone unless fear an attack. For example, many house owners know there could be snakes in their gardens, but haven't seen any. If you love gardening it is possible to find the skins garden snakes moult, otherwise they are so camouflaged in the background and avoid human proximity that encounters are very sporadic. Dull colors like tans, khaki yellow or green are the basic colors of garden snakes, both humans and large animals like pets will scare them. The only problem is when you have poisonous garden snakes, then the risk of getting bitten is higher, and most often, professional assistance is required to capture and relocate them in wilderness.