29/07/2020
PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO COPY THE HANDLING TECHNIQUES !
The Indian cobra (Naja naja), also known as the spectacled cobra, Asian cobra, or binocellate cobra, is a species of the genus Naja found, in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, and a member of the "big four" species that inflict the most snakebites on humans in India.It is distinct from the king cobra which belongs to the monotypic genus Ophiophagus. The Indian cobra is revered in Indian mythology and culture, and is often seen with snake charmers. It is now protected in India under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
The Indian cobra's venom mainly contains a powerful post-synaptic neurotoxin and cardiotoxin.The venom acts on the synaptic gaps of the nerves, thereby paralyzing muscles, and in severe bites leading to respiratory failure or cardiac arrest. The venom components include enzymes such as hyaluronidase that cause lysis and increase the spread of the venom. Envenomation symptoms may manifest between 15 minutes and 2 hours following the bite.
In mice, the SC LD50 range for this species is 0.45 mg/kg– 0.75 mg/kg.The average venom yield per bite is between 169 and 250 mg.Though it is responsible for many bites, only a small percentage are fatal if proper medical treatment and anti-venom are given.Mortality rate for untreated bite victims can vary from case to case, depending upon the quantity of venom delivered by the individual involved. According to one study, it is approximately 20–30%,but in another study involving victims who were given prompt medical treatment, the mortality rate was only 9%. In Bangladesh it's responsible for most of the snake bite cases.
Spectacled cobra with hood lowered in a bamboo shrub
The Indian cobra is one of the big four snakes of South Asia which are responsible for the majority of human deaths by snakebite in Asia. Polyvalent serum is available for treating snakebites caused by these species.[21] Zedoary, a local spice with a reputation for being effective against snakebite,[22] has shown promise in experiments testing its activity against cobra venom.[23]
The venom of young cobras has been used as a substance of abuse in India, with cases of snake charmers being paid for providing bites from their snakes. Though this practice is now seen as outdated, symptoms of such abuse include loss of consciousness, euphoria, and sedation.[24]
As of November 2016, an antivenom is currently being developed by the Costa Rican Clodomiro Picado Institute, and the clinical trial phase is in Sri Lanka