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Studies reveal that people are more familiar with the cobra snake family than with any other snake group or subgroup in the venomous or non-venomous serpent categories. Tropical lands and desert areas make the beloved habitat for the cobra snake, which explains why this snake is regularly found in the arid lands of Asia and Africa. The element to have rendered them so recognized is the threatening body position they assume when danger is near: a cobra snake, which has a regular symmetrical head when in a tolerant mood, will flatten the head and rear it up in a menacing way when it considers itself in danger. Another thing the cobra snake remains famous for is the snake charming tricks performed by Indian serpent breeders.

A more special mixture 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 stop 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 King cobra snake sets another record in terms of size: it can get up to seventeen feet long, which makes it the the biggest poisonous snake in the world. A new species was discovered in our times, in 2003 to be more exact, when a specimen was identified at a London Zoo as part of an illegal shipment 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 apparently originates from the region between Sudan and Egypt, which is why scientists gave it the old name of this geographic location, Nubian spitting cobra.

Although the risk of getting bitten is high in the attendance of a venomous specimen, a cobra snake will keep away if you let it be. If compared to the strike of a rattlesnake, the cobra is pretty slow in attack, and many bites fail to touch the prey or do not result in envenomation. Research conducted on Malaysian cobra snake victims shows that only 55% of the bites involved venom discharge 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 devastating the nerves and causing respiratory deficiencies within thirty minutes from the occurrence of the bite.

Snakes like hiding places, they are pretty independent creatures that do not pose any risk unless they feel threatened. For instance, many house owners know there could be snakes in their gardens, but haven't seen any. If you take gardening as a hobby it is possible to come across the skins garden snakes moult, otherwise they are so camouflaged in living environment and avoid human proximity that encounters are very sporadic. 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 the garden snakes are venomous, then the risk of getting bitten is higher, and most often, professional assistance is required to capture and relocate them in a wild habitat.