Naja siamensis – Indochinese Spitting Cobra
Naja siamensis – Indochinese Spitting Cobra
Of all Thai snakes, the Indochinese Spitting Cobra, Naja siamensis, is by far the snake I ‘fear’ the most to handle. It’s a fast, and agile snake, and a surprisingly fast and accurate spitter! DO NOT underestimate this on your first encounter!
For those who have no experience with this species, let me warn you that it is able to spit in your face within a split second when you touch the tail. Even when initially the head is facing away from you. It does not need to be in defensive posture with the hood up to be able to spit… As soon as you grab it, it can turn almost instantly and spit at you before you can turn your face away. So I repeat: do not underestimate this snake! If you decide to handle this species, make sure to wear proper eye-protection and cover any external wounds on your body. I have seen the snake handlers of the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute wear protection glasses and wrap a shirt around their face when catching a wild spitter. This actually seems quite a wise thing to do, because the glasses alone won’t stop the venom from dripping down with your sweat from your forehead into your eyes.
But enough of all this safety-talk, let’s talk about this amazing cobra species.
facts
| Dangerous? | Very dangerous, bites potentially fatal, and able to spit venom possibly causing blindness; fixed front-fanged, potent venom, and a fast agile snake. |
| Venom | Neurotoxic & cytotoxic |
| Length | 0.90m – 1.5m |
| Diet | Rodents, snakes, amphibians |
| How easy to find | Uncommonly encountered, even though locally common. |
| Best time of year | We have encountered this species in different seasons, both in the winter and in the wet season. |
| Best time of day | Our personal experience with this species has been primarily during the day, mostly in the mornings. Many books however state they are nocturnal. This could perhaps vary per season/ or even habitat. We have even seen it active at the hottest time of day. |
| Threats | Human persecution, some restaurants serve dishes based on cobra meat, and traffic victims |
| Notes: | Does not quickly run out of venom, can spit surprisingly often. And as noted in the introduction, they do not first have to get in a good pose before spitting. They can spit instantly as it turns its head towards you when you grab the tail. Beware. Make sure to rinse your eyes immediately and thoroughly with water if you get venom in your eyes. |
Marking on the hood of the Naja siamensis, Indochinese Spitting Cobra
Description
To be continued…
Similar-looking species
Venom of the spitting cobra on the lens
Behaviour
To be continued…
Indochinese Spitting Cobra, dark morph in Cha-am, Thailand
Range & habitat
To be continued…
Side view of Indochinese Spitting Cobra’s head, Naja siamensis
Taxonomy
To be continued…
The author versus an Indochinese Spitting Cobra
How to find this species in Thailand?
To be continued…
Whenever a Indochinese Spitting Cobra gets the chance, it will try to flee and spare its venom. The ‘hood’ is only visible in defensive posture.
