Red Spitting Cobra

This is a relatively medium sized cobra, attaining lengths between 0.7 to 1.2 meters (2.3 to 3.9 ft), but they may grow maximum lengths of around 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) in very rare cases This is often thought of as an attractive species, it is usually bright salmon red contrasting with a broad black throat band and subocular teardrop markings. However, the colour of this species does have variation and this variation usually depends on where in Africa a particular specimen is found. For example, specimens from southern Kenya and northern Tanzania have an orange-red colour, with a broad dark blue or black throat band. In some specimens we also see two or three throat bands but this is uncommon for specimens from East Africa. The ventral side is also reddish in colour, sometimes the throat area may be a creamy white. Specimens from other areas can be yellow, pinkish, pink-grey, pale red or steel grey. Most specimens will have a throat band, but this throat band will fade or even sometimes disappear in larger adults. The true red specimens will become reddish-brown in colour as they age and grow in size. The body of this snake is slightly depressed, tapered and moderately slender with a medium length tail. It is slightly compressed dorsoventrally and subcylindrical posteriorly. The head is broad, flattened and slightly distinct from the neck. The canthus is distinct and the snout is rounded. The eyes are medium to large in size with round pupils. Dorsal scales are smooth and strongly oblique.

Behavior
Red spitting cobras are terrestrial, fast and alert snakes. Adults specimens of this species are nocturnal, while juveniles are more active both during the day. Adults like to hide in termite mounds, old logs, in holes, brush piles or any other ground cover during the day.They are often found near water holes where they hunt on pythons which is their preferred prey. They are also known to be cannibalistic, this could be the reason that the juveniles and smaller specimens are diurnal while adults are nocturnal.When threatened, it rears up and displays a typical cobra hood. It may also hiss loudly. If the intruder does not retreat, it may sprays jets of semin to the face of the intruder. Semin that gets into the eyes can cause burning pain and blindness. Even so, this snake seldom causes fatalities in humans.
Venom
This species, like most spitting cobra, contains a mixture of neurotoxic and cytotoxic. Bite symptoms include slight pain around the wound and numbness of lips and tongue. Although it rarely causes human fatalities, survivors are usually disfigured. The murine IP LD50 value for this snake is 2 mg/kg.
In September 2011, a snake keeper from the Eastern Cape in South Africa died shortly after a Red spitting cobra sprayed venom into his face whilst he and a friend were photographing the snake. It is believed that some of the venom entered his nasal passages and led to anaphylactic shock. The fact that he was asthmatic is believed to have contributed to his fatal reaction.