New species of spitting cobra identified

NAIROBI, Kenya - Researchers in Africa say they have identified a new species of spitting cobra, the largest and most venomous snake known.

The large brown spitting cobra was previously believed to be a variant of the black-necked spitting cobra. But studies of its blood and tissue have determined it is a separate species, National Geographic News reported.

The species was named Ashe's spitting cobra, or Naja ashei, in honor of James Ashe, founder of the Bio-Ken snake farm and research center in Watamu, Kenya.

Ashe's cobra is found in dry lowlands in north and east Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.

Workers at Bio-Ken and other people who handle snakes had long noticed that the large brown spitting cobra behaved differently from other variants of the black-necked species. The large browns were bigger, growing to 9 feet, took better to captivity and were less picky eaters.

Researchers have also discovered that their venom packs a far bigger punch than that of the black-ringed cobra, making it the most venomous cobra known.

Spitting cobras deliver venom by spraying it as well as by biting and have a range of several yards. When they are threatened, they aim the spray for the eyes of an animal confronting them.

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