Venom - Neurotoxin

Cobras are recognized by the hoods that flare when they are angry or disturbed.

These reptiles are found throughout the Philippines, southern Asia, and Africa.

The king cobra is the world’s longest poisonous snake. It averages 3.7 m (12 ft) in length but is known to grow to 5.5 m (18 ft). It is a thin snake, olive or brown in color, with bronze eyes.

Spitting cobra: This snake can spray its venom from a distance of about 2.4 m (about 8 ft) into the eyes of its victims, blinding them temporarily and causing great pain.

The venom of cobras, called a neurotoxin, acts powerfully on the nervous system. With effective serum available, however, the death rate from cobra bites in some areas of Asia has decreased. Cobra venom has been used for years in medical research because it has an enzyme, lecithinase, that dissolves cell walls and membranes surrounding viruses.

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