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That is the Mozambique Spitting Cobra and is native to southern Africa. They are accurate up to distances of 10 feet, aiming at the eyes of the target.

There is a program that comes on National Geographic called "Snakes in the City". It shows how this guy in South Africa catches snakes in the city. And this snake features there prominently.

On the estates where I grew up there used to be some “bounty” on snakes. Till my Dad put a stop to it.
Humans are a god damned selfish species indeed.
But my dogs on many occasions have warned me in advance thereby saving me from stepping on a slithery beast and then hopping around having been bitten...always good to go walkabout in the wild when wearing stout boots or gum boots or similar and carrying a stick, with which one can announce one’s arrival to any lethargic reptilian critter that might be lurking about in the undergrowth...:)

Actually making a good amount of vibration, such as walking with heavy shoes or tapping a heavy staff on the ground while walking is good, where snakes may be around. It will tell them something heavy is approaching, and encourage them to slip away. They don't necessarily identify small prey through vibration alone. They smell them - through their tongue though - and they can see them, even in the dark, through infra red receptors. They can easily see us even in pitch darkness!

Yes, there are actually multiple species of cobra that spit venom into the eyes of a potential enemy, and they can be found across Africa & Asia (including India). Please go through the Wikipedia link below, if you're interested in reading more about each one.

Wikipedia Article

There are more species of cobra that spit. The article above has more details about each one.
P.S: Snakes in the city is a nice show, although Simon is a bit dramatic about playing out the effects of the venom at times. :)

Cheers

Came across this small guy while walking in Kuderemukh national park. My first impression was that it was a baby Krait, experts please correct if wrong.

I'm certainly no expert, but that doesn't look like a common Krait to me. From my knowledge and online research, this is what a baby common Krait looks like.
On closer inspection of the photo, I see that the snake in your photo has blue/ish bands. Hope one of the snake experts on the forum can help identify the snake you took a photo of :)



Source

Edit: In case you are interested in asking a professional snake forum to help identify this snake, then you can raise a Snake identification request here - http://indiansnakes.org/content/snak...ification-form

Cheers

It is Striped Keelback, also known as Amphiesma Stolata.

Incidentally we even worship Adishesha, the many headed Cobra. All over South India, you can see little shrines dedicated to snakes. Yet we kill them and are absurdly frightened by them and are unutterably nasty to them.
It is really quite a paradox!:)

Am doubtful whether this is a Krait. The stripes look more like that of wolf snake. Or is it that a baby Krait will look like a wolf snake?

No, this is a Krait. In fact, it is from this page.

Had commented only after going through the link:) Since that person has much more experience in handling snakes, maybe he is right. But kraits generally do not have the white markings starting from the base of the head. Its starts further down

My snakes guidebook on common krait says "these bands are usually absent on forebody". Perhaps it is the baby banded krait then? They have stripes all over.

The bands of wolf snake and krait are quite different. See the wolf snake here.

There are quite a few varieties of wolf snake. The pic I commented on looks like Banded Wolf snake

Check this out

http://www.indiansnakes.org/content/banded-wolf-snake

The photo you have posted - is that of Banded Krait? Checked Indian snakes website - banded Krait looks different

This is found only in Himalyan ranges, and some other Asian countries. I was going by my local knowledge of snakes.