It possesses an extraordinary ability to spit venom at a distance, an action it doesn’t typically use against its usual prey and which probably resulted from an adaptive reaction to the danger of being stepped on by antelopes and other large mammals with whom it shares its habitat. This spitting ability can be performed thanks to the special arrangement of the venom’s exit hole, which is located in a more frontal position and further from the tip of the fangs, unlike other cobras.

The venom it projects causes enormous pain and inflammation in the mucous membranes, especially in the eyes, nostrils, and mouth.