Walterinnesia aegyptia

Walterinnesia aegyptia, also known as the desert cobra or desert black snake, is a species of venomous snakes in the family Elapidae that is native to the Middle East. The specific epithet aegyptia (“of Egypt”) refers to part of its geographic range.^[2]

Walterinnesia aegyptia
Walterinnesia aegyptia
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Walterinnesia
Species:	W. aegyptia
Binomial name
Walterinnesia aegyptia Lataste, 1887

Description and behaviour

(See the article on the genus at Walterinnesia)

Distribution

The range of the species encompasses southern Israel, north-western Saudi Arabia, western Jordan, Iraq, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and possibly Lebanon. The type locality is Cairo, where the type specimen was purchased.^[2]

Venom

The desert cobra is highly venomous. The subcutaneous LD₅₀ for the venom of W. aegyptia is 0.4 mg/kg. For comparison, the Indian cobra's (Naja naja) subcutaneous LD₅₀ is 0.80 mg/kg, while the Cape cobra's (Naja nivea) subcutaneous LD₅₀ is 0.72 mg/kg. This makes the desert black snake a more venomous snake than both.^[3] Venom toxins of the desert cobra are similar to those of the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), indicating a close relationship.^[2]

Like many elapid snakes, the venom is primarily neurotoxic and the effects of envenenomation are due to systemic circulation of the toxins rather than from local effects on tissue near the site of injection.^[4]