While taking a morning stroll at Changi Business Park canal on Thursday (Jan 7), bird watcher Sudip Kumar Saha encountered one of the most venomous snakes in Singapore. 

It was the black spitting cobra, otherwise known as the Equatorial spitting cobra. 

Sharing his experience in a post on Facebook group Nature Society Singapore, Sudip said that the snake had initially escaped his attention as it was near the railing.

It was only when he heard a sound that he turned back to see that the snake adopting an “aggressive stance” with its hood expanded.  

Whipping out his camera, Sudip took a few photos “from a safe distance” which he later attached to his Facebook post.

Apart from raising their hood, the black spitting cobras also stand erect and hiss loudly whenever they feel threatened.

It may spray venom from its fangs, which can cover a distance of over one metre and cause discomfort or even temporary blindness if it enters the eyes.

However, these snakes are typically not aggressive unless provoked. If you encounter one, you should keep your distance and avoid approaching or confronting it.

Like many other snakes in Singapore, the black spitting cobra is native and may travel through or hide in drains, which can make it difficult to spot.

Click here for the National Parks Board’s advisory on snake encounters in Singapore.