Can a tiger be called a 'striped leopard'? Are not leopards and Jaguars quite similar to each other? 
The answer to both is, No. Because, though these animals belong to the same family of big cats, each one of them is a separate species. For these animals don't differ just in their fur colour and pattern. They also vary in their body structure, behaviour, habits, and even in the composition of their tissues.

By the same logic, wild life experts have now announced that the big, brown spiting cobra is not a mere colour variant of the black-necked spitting cobra but a separate species altogether.

James Ashe, was the founder of the Bio-Ken Snake Farm in Watamu, Coastal Kenya. This farm produces snake venoms for antivenin purposes, and has a wide range of local species on display. James Ashe, had devoted his life to the study and protection of snakes, and had a wealth of local knowledge on the subject. He died in 2004.
Ashe was the first to catch a larger-than-normal spitting cobra in the 1960s, and suggest that it belonged to a different species. Ashe came to this conclusion after observing that the 9 foot brown coloured cobra did not just 'look' different from the more common varieties black-necked, spitting cobra. It also behaved in an entirely different manner.

For while the other variants of the black-necked spitting cobra fought harder when handled and took longer to settle down in captivity, this one was generally less alert and less resistant to handling. Again, while the other spitting cobras, once in their cages, were picky eaters, the big one would readily eat anything, anywhere.

Following these leads, blood and tissue analysis was done on the giant snake at the University of Wales and the Biodiversity Foundation for Africa in Buluwayo, Zimbabwe. The results showed that the snake was indeed fundamentally different. And this news was published in the animal taxonomy magazine Zootaxa. Finally, on Dec 7th, the non profit conservation group, Wildlife Direct officially confirmed it the status of a species. The snake is called Naja ashei after James Ashe.

Spitting cobras are deadly creatures inhabiting the lowland regions of Africa. They spray their venom on attackers from several metres. They usually aim for the attacker's eyes, giving the snake the best chance for escape.
Ashe's cobra too 'spits'. And it is said to deliver double the quantity of venom with a single bite than any other cobra on the planet. The venom is said to be enough to kill 15 people! 

The greatest significance of the new finding is for the residents along Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, who are at risk of being bitten by the new cobra.

Till now, since this cobra was clubbed with the other more common cobras, the doctors treating bites were administering only half the necessary dose of antivenin to victims. Now that it has been established that the snake is a different species, they would administer the right dose of antivenin. Researchers are also studying the chemical makeup of the new cobra's venom to see if it needs a different antivenin altogether.