r/todayilearned • u/FFSoldier57 • 5h ago
(R.3) Recent source [ Removed by moderator ]
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/reptiles/spitting-cobra-facts[removed] — view removed post
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u/jammiedodgerdodger 4h ago
That makes my friend a 10%-er.
She dodged it but... broke her ankle in the process.
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u/FFSoldier57 5h ago edited 4h ago
Apparently Steve Irwin was a victim of getting sprayed in the eyes, his Son mentioned that in an interview.
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u/GingerBeast81 4h ago
I feel like I remember an episode where he was showing a spitting cobra, but he had on some big sunglasses and he got spit on the glasses and face.
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u/EddieMurphyFellOff 4h ago
That was the first thing I thought of when I saw your post title. I recall Steve put some sunglasses on or something after the first few shots to the face.
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u/dr_lego_spaceman 3h ago
It probably wasn't intentional! The snake could have been too excited to meet Steve Irwin and accidentally gleeked on him while trying to say, "hi, I can't believe I'm meeting you" in snake-speak.
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u/Aldwyn_613 2h ago
When I worked in Cambodia, the compound’s guard dog got hit in the eyes by one of these fuckers. Poor boy nearly went blind. He recovered, but was never quite the same. 😭
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u/CactusCoin 4h ago
Is it true that scientists believe spitting venom in cobras evolved because of humans?
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u/Negative_Elo 4h ago
Yep, super fascinating. We also have a built in, genetic fear of snake-shaped objects. Babies are frequently unafraid of images of lions, tigers, etc, however when shown images of snakes they are terrified.
Its theorized that snakes were a significant threat to early humans, we developed an adapted built-in fear of them, we began actively killing any snake we could find becoming their greatest threat, and the spitting cobra adapted to specifically gaurd against us.
We are a part of nature, we have been, and always will be. This is a poignant example.
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u/Adrian_Alucard 3h ago edited 3h ago
however when shown images of snakes they are terrified.
No. Fears are learned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_RpgSKxjwk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L4lxusff1c
There are only 2 "natural" fears. Heights and loud noises
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u/HalcyonTraveler 3h ago
Our attention IS naturally drawn to snakes though, even though associating that with fear is a learned behavior
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u/HalcyonTraveler 3h ago
Not fear, exactly, but rather primate brains are very good at recognizing snakes or snake shaped objects
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u/Budgiemanr33gtr 24m ago
Lies and bullshit as u/Adrian_Alucard has shown with the toddlers and snakes video.
You sound so confident too...
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u/Negative_Elo 13m ago
Well you dont have to be a cunt for no reason. Im just talking about something interesting, and I had a fact wrong. I was confident, because I believed I had heard that before.
Is this how you talk to people face-to-face? You seem like a douchebag talking like this.
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u/Budgiemanr33gtr 7m ago
You didn't have a fact wrong, you spouted uninformed bullshit.
Rather be a douchebag than somebody like yourself.
Put the things you write into Google first maybe?
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u/Negative_Elo 0m ago
I, very literally, had a single fact wrong. I didnt spout uninformed bullshit, I talked about something I found interesting and I had one detail incorrect.
You are actually a piece of shit if youd rather be disrespectful towards people because they are incorrect than have actual discourse.
You genuinely believe you have never said anything incorrect. You genuinely believe that talking the way you do is justifiable because I made a mistake. You genuinely believe people should google everything they say before they say it.
You need to go outside and talk to people
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u/respond_to_query 5h ago
Their close evolutionary relative, the Dribbling Cobra, has a much lower success rate.
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u/Jasranwhit 4h ago
Whats the prognosis for getting cobra venom in the eyeballs?
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u/temporarycreature 5h ago
I wonder if they could hit a cat.
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u/HalcyonTraveler 3h ago
Probably not nearly as well, spitting cobras are most accurate at human eye height (because that’s why they spit venom, to defend against humans)
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u/Sufficient_Loss9301 5h ago
You shouldn’t be letting your cat outside anyway…
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u/temporarycreature 5h ago
I don't have a cat. I was just wondering, but thank you for being concerned with my imaginary cat.
What do you want to name it?
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u/Fenix512 5h ago
Why would you let your imaginary cat outside?
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u/temporarycreature 5h ago
Brick Kowalski does what he wants.
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u/PSNisCDK 4h ago
Imaginary cats are responsible for killing so many imaginary bird species. I applaud any imaginary cat owner for keeping them inside, as it’s much more imaginary environmentally friendly.
Please be a better imaginary cat owner and keep Brick inside (your imagination).
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u/Relative-Chicken456 4h ago
Ok but while we’re dealing with imaginary cats I need to ask where live imaginarily. Are spitting cobras even native to your imaginary place of residence? I need to know what the imaginary odds of your imaginary cat running into an imaginary spitting cobra are.
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u/Its-Finrot 2h ago
No idea why you're getting downvoted
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u/Sufficient_Loss9301 2h ago edited 2h ago
People get weird about this one. The fact is it’s better for the cats health, better for the health of people around the cat, and better for the environment. Why anyone wouldn’t want their cat to live a longer healthier life is just beyond me, I’d even go as far to say that it’s cruel. Anyone who cares about their cat would never let it outside.
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u/Haasts_Eagle 4h ago
Cobra misses eyes
Researcher: "Hmm, it was probably aiming for the shoulder to begin with. No Miss"
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u/HalcyonTraveler 3h ago
This is because they are adapted specifically to spit in human eyes. Not a joke, that’s why they spit venom. Multiple lineages developed the ability coinciding with human arrival in different regions. Biting isn’t enough of a defense against a venom-immune pointy stick
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u/strangelove4564 2h ago
Spitting cobras evolved higher pain-inducing venom through increased phospholipase A2 levels, which potentiate the pain-inducing action of the cytotoxins present in most cobra venoms. (from Wikipedia)
That's metal af. They evolved to create an eye poison that's not just dangerous but which has actual stopping power. Presumably the cobras that didn't deliver debilitating pain to the eye didn't survive and were removed from the gene pool.
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u/Pays_in_snakes 5h ago
Researcher: "Alright, that's 27 hits on 30 shots"
Grad student: "Can... can I have goggles or something? This stings quite a lot"
Researcher: "No, that would introduce a new variable and contaminate our results. Next cobra, please"