THAILEX - Thailand Travel Encyclopedia

NATURE & GASTRONOMY

Indochinese Spitting Cobra

An Indochinese Spitting Cobra. This species has a rather thick body with a highly variable colour, which may be grey, olive, brown or black, with an irregular pattern of white spots or bands, that can be so abundant that it makes the snake predominantly white, though the head is usually dark brown or black. Its may have a U, V or H-shaped hood mark, though this is often faint or, as in this particular species, absent.

VENOMOUS! This snake has a strong neurotoxic venom and its bite can be fatal in less than an hour. Besides this, it readily spits its venom in defense which is corrosive in contact with the eyes. Locally, its bite may cause pain, severe swelling, bruising, blistering and necrosis, while general effects may include headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dizziness, collapse or convulsions, and lead to moderate to severe flaccid paralysis. All cases should be treated as urgent and potentially lethal. Thailand Antivenom Code: SAsTRC02