Walterinnesia aegyptia, also known as the desert cobra or desert black snake, is a species of venomous snakes in the family Elapidae that is native to the Middle East.

The specific epithet aegyptia (“of Egypt”) refers to part of its geographic range.

[2] (See the article on the genus at Walterinnesia) The range of the species encompasses southern Israel, north-western Saudi Arabia, western Jordan, Iraq, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and possibly Lebanon.

[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.