Venomous snakes are a group of reptiles that have evolved to produce venom as a defense mechanism. This group includes VIPERS, which have long, hinged fangs that inject venom; asps, which have short, fixed fangs and are found in the Middle East and Africa; cobras, which can raise their heads and spread their hoods when threatened; ADDERS, which are found in Europe and North America; elapids, which are found in Australia and New Zealand; mambas, which are found in Africa; and taipans, which are found in Australia.