Who wouldn’t freeze at the sight of a snake or the hissing of this slithery creature? No one, right? Well, this fear didn’t just come out of nowhere- it has solid reasons behind it.
Snakes are one of the deadliest reptiles out there. Their lethality rate is so high that some venomous snakes, like the ones mentioned in this list, can kill anyone in minutes. From the Australian Taipan to the Fierce Snake called inland Taipan, these serpents have a reputation for causing serious harm to humans worldwide.
As you may have figured already, today we’re not only going to talk about snakes, the most dangerous ones. Here’s a list of the 14 deadliest snakes in the world.
1. Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja Textilis)
If you’re an Australian, you better pray you never come across this merciless reptile responsible for more deaths in Australia than any other snake species.
Unfortunately, these snakes are usually found near human habitations, and their color ranges from gray to black or brown.
The Eastern Brown Snake’s venom is hemotoxic, which reacts quickly with blood, disrupting blood clotting. Its venom causes several diseases like internal bleeding, kidney damage, and in some cases, even neurotoxic paralysis.
The Eastern Brown Snake, with the highest LD score (lethal dose) in venom, is considered the most venomous snake on this planet.
2. Mainland Tiger Snake (Notechis Scutatus)
The Mainland Tiger Snake, too, is native to Australia, like most of the snakes on our list.
These snakes live along the Southeastern and Southwestern coasts of Australia, preferring wet areas close to human settings.
As their name suggests, these snakes have an appearance similar to that of a tiger. They’ve bands like tiger stripes, ranging from yellow and black to tan and bronze.
When they feel threatened, you’ll see them creating a hood by flattening their neck, making them look like cobras.
Their highly lethal venom effects the nervous system, muscles, and blood clotting proteins, killing amphibians, mammals, birds, and reptiles in just a few minutes.
3. Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus Microlepidotus)
The fierce snake, or the inland Taipan, is a famous venomous snake, even listed as #1 in many lists of deadliest snakes.
This is because of its highly toxic venom that’s enough to kill 100 adult humans with just a 100 mg dose. A 100mg dose is the maximum venom this snake can inject in one bite. So you can imagine the survival rate after its bite:
However, they come third compared to its LD score of venom toxicity. The first two snakes in the list beat the Inland Taipan in this test.
Thankfully, the Inland Taipans are rarely found near humans due to their shy nature.
4. Russell’s Viper (Daboia Russelii)
Russell’s Viper is considered to be the most dangerous snake in Asia. This cunning animal can be found from India to China, and in some regions, it causes more severe bite injuries than any other kind of snake.
If you ever encounter one of these bad guys, you can identify it as a Russell’s Viper thanks to its rad pattern. But take caution! It will hiss loudly if it feels threatened and won’t hesitate to stab you with its teeth.
Here’s the truly terrifying part: They enjoy an insane amount of venom in a single bite, and they can kill up to 150,000 mice with it- no wonder why rodents are its favorite meal.
5. Blue Krait (Bungarus Candidus)
The Blue Krait is another one of Asia’s deadliest snakes. It’s so deadly that even if you seek medical attention right away after being bitten, there is a 50% chance it’ll be fatal.
These snakes are extremely dangerous because their poison contains powerful neurotoxins. The toxins they release when they bite can paralyze you, and unfortunately, many bite victims pass away from respiratory failure.
However, Blue Kraits usually stay away from people.
6. Boomslang (Dispholidus Typus Ssp)
The Boomslang is undoubtedly a fierce competitor and is regarded as the Colubrid family’s most deadly snake.
Its venom is the strongest of all the Colubrids and can cause significant bleeding and hemorrhage, even though it may not be as toxic as the venom of some other deadly snakes.
Their rear-positioned fangs make it a little more challenging for them to inject their venom than other venomous snakes on this list.
These cunning serpents are actually quite timid, and they try to escape conflict whenever possible.
Funnily enough, Boomslang enlarges their throats to appear larger if they feel endangered, and since they’re tree-dwelling creatures, they eat birds and lizards they hold onto until their venom takes effect.
7. Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus Scutellatus)
Mojave Rattlesnake is the most poisonous rattlesnake with venom that has both hemotoxic and neurotoxic characteristics. This means that it can affect both your circulation and nervous system.
If you see a Mojave Rattlesnake for the first time, you might mistake it for a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. However, Mojave Rattlesnakes are smaller and have scales with a slightly more greenish tinge.
The Mojave Rattlesnake is not one to play around when it feels threatened, like many other deadly snakes.
Although they rarely result in death, bites from this snake make for a significant portion of serious snakebites in the Southwest of the United States.
8. Stiletto Snake (Atractaspis Bibronii)
Don’t be fooled by the stiletto snake’s size or ability to burrow; this cunning reptile is extremely toxic.
The Stiletto Snake doesn’t shoot a lot of venom, but whatever quantity it injects is enough. The bite can severely harm the heart’s arteries and nearby tissue.
In reality, it’s said to be almost impossible to handle a stiletto snake safely. This is partly because of its unusually positioned fangs, which are found on the side of its mouth. As a result, side-stabbing snakes are another name for stiletto snakes.
A fun fact is this snake is the only venomous snake in our list that doesn’t belong to the Viperidae, Colubridae, or Elapidae family.
9. Saw-Scaled Viper (Echis Carinatus)
The Saw-Scaled Viper should not be taken lightly. It may not have the strongest poison, but these ill-tempered serpents cause the majority of snakebite occurrences in India.
Like the venom of many vipers, theirs includes toxins that can harm the tissue and cause blood to clot. Bite wounds from saw-scaled vipers can be fatal, and urgent anti-venom therapy is necessary.
It’s interesting to note that these vipers can kill a range of prey, including small mammals, reptiles, and even other snakes.
They frequently hide in the sand with only their heads visible.
10. King Cobra (Ophiophagus Hannah)
The King Cobra is the monarch of poisonous snakes.
These snakes can grow over 15 feet, making them the largest venomous snakes on earth.
The signature King Cobra move is to raise a third of its body off the ground and flatten its neck into a hood when they feel threatened. It could even stand to reach your eye level!
King Cobras’ venom is not as toxic as the venom of the nine snakes that came before it on this list, but because of their enormous size, they can inject a tremendous quantity of venom and easily overwhelm anything they get their hands on.
Fortunately, these snakes prefer living deep inside the jungle.
11. Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus Scutellatus)
The Elapid genus, which resides in Australia, includes the Coastal Taipan. They’re one of the most poisonous snakes in the world due to their long fangs.
Offshore Taipans can reach lengths of more than 10 feet and have the longest fangs among all Australian snakes.
They are regarded as one of the most dangerous snakes in Australia because of their long fangs and readiness to bite.
A Coastal Taipan’s bite was almost always fatal before this species’ anti-venom was widely accessible.
These snakes’ poison targets the muscles, blood clotting, and nervous system and has been widely successful in eliminating animals with these properties.
12. Banded Krait (Bungarus Fasciatus)
As striking as these snakes appear, we shouldn’t forget that krait snakes are among the deadliest in Asia and around the globe.
The neurotoxin the Banded Krait produces is very potent and can damage the victims’ nervous systems.
Apart from reptiles and mammals, they’ll eat other snakes – even other Krait varieties!
Fortunately, they are timid and rarely attack during the day. However, when they are eating at night, they can become hostile. Their black and yellow (or occasionally black and white) bands and short tails make these snakes easily distinguishable.
13. Common Death Adder (Acanthophis Antarcticus)
The most unique snake in Australia is the Common Death Adder, which resembles a viper, with short and stocky bodies and tan, orange, or bronze-coloured bands running across them.
Their hunting tactic is as unique as their appearance; they use something called caudal luring, where they lure the prey by making their tail look like a worm.
These snakes also boast of being the fastest-attacking snakes in the world!
Due to their venom being a valuable resource, they usually dry bite. But when they do inject venom, they do it in a significant amount.
14. Beaked Sea Snake (Hydrophis Schistosus)
A snake with highly toxic venom and a reputation for aggression, it’s probably a nightmare for the fishermen to see these trapped in their fishing nets- which happens quite often.
Due to their extremely neurotoxic and hemotoxic venom, these snakes inflict most sea snake attacks, resulting in paralysis and muscle damage.
Like other sea snakes, the Beaked Sea Snake has a flattened, paddle-like tail that makes it easy to travel through ocean waters.