Statistics indicate 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 widely spread in the arid lands of Asia and Africa. The element to have rendered them so famous is the threatening body posture they get when danger is near: a cobra snake, which has a perfectly symmetrical head otherwise, will flatten the head and push it towards the back in a menacing way when it considers itself in danger. Another thing the cobra snake remains famous for is the performance of cobra charming tricks by Indian snake masters.

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 eye contact with the venom toxins can cause not just pain but blindness too, therefore, if you accidentally get cobra snake venom in the eyes, wash them out instantly so as to eliminate permanent damage to the tissues. The King cobra snake also distinguishes itself in this large serpent family by the fact that it feeds almost completely on other snakes, with mice and small birds accidentally turning into a meal.

The incredible size is one other history the King cobra snake sets: it can grow as long as seventeen feet, which makes it the largest venomous snake on the globe. The most recent discovery of a cobra snake species was made in 2003, when a strange cobra snake was identified at a London Zoo as belonging to an illegal shipment of exotic pets. According to DNA studies this new species resembles the red spitting cobra snake but shows major differences in terms of genes. It apparently originates from the region between Sudan and Egypt, which is why scientists gave it the old name of this geographicarea, Nubian spitting cobra.

Though highly fatal when it senses a threat, a cobra snake will keep away if you leave it in peace. If compared to the strike of a rattlesnake, the cobra is pretty slow in ambush, and many bites fail to touch the prey or do not result in envenomation. A study conducted on Malaysian people bitten by a cobra snake indicates that only 55% of the wounds had venom discharge too. Yet, the same study indicates a mortality rate of 10% for people bitten by a cobra snake, since the toxic compounds eliminated in the blood of the prey are affecting the nerves and causing respiratory deficiencies within thirty minutes from the occurrence of the bite.

Finding hiding places is part of snakes' nature, they are pretty independent creatures that do not harm anyone unless fear an attack. For example, many people have heard of garden snakes but they have actually never seen any. If you take gardening as a hobby it is possible to find the skins garden snakes moult, otherwise they are well hidden in living environment and avoid human proximity that chances to see them are pretty rare. Dull colors like tans, khaki yellow or green are the basic colors of garden snakes, both humans and large animals like pets will scare them. The only issue is when the garden snakes are venomous, then the risk of getting bitten is higher, and most often, professional assistance is necessary to capture and move them in wilderness.