Any of several poisonous snakes, especially the genus Naja, of the family Elapidae, found in Africa and S Asia, species of which can grow from 1 m/3 ft to over 4.3 m/14 ft. The neck stretches into a hood when the snake is alarmed. Cobra venom contains nerve toxins powerful enough to kill humans.
The Indian cobra Naja naja is about 1.5 m/5 ft long, and found over most of S Asia. Some individuals have “spectacle” markings on the hood. The hamadryad Naja hannah of S and SE Asia can be 4.3 m/14 ft or more, and eats snakes. The ringhals Hemachatus hemachatus of S Africa and the black-necked cobra Naja nigricollis, of the African savanna are both about 1 m/3 ft long. Both are able to spray venom toward the eyes of an attacker.
Venomous Asiatic and African elapid snakes that can expand the skin of the neck into a hood. + prikaži više