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