Spitting Cobras hit their mark

Spitting cobras are animals that are known to "spit" in the eyes of its potential attackers. They don't actually "spit" venom. The muscle contractions squeeze the cobra's venom gland, forcing the venom to stream out of its fangs. The muscle can produce enough pressure to spray venom up to six feet. A new study is published in Physiological and Biochemical zoology. The lead for this study is author, Bruce Young, who is a director of the Anatomical Laboratory in the Department of Physical therapy in University of Massachusetts, Lowell. During his study, Dr. Young and his colleagues, Melissa Boetig and Dr. Westhoff found the secret to cobra's success. They found out that the cobra can maximize its chances of hitting the target. Cobra venom doesn't hit in one spot. Venom lands in complex geometric patterns and can hit the target 100% accurate from 60 meters. But when it does hit the eyes,  it causes severe pain and possibly blindness.