Snakes are one of the most feared creatures on the planet. These cold-blooded, limbless carnivores strike terror into the hearts of anyone who comes across them. It doesn’t matter if they are poisonous or not; The first sign of a snake makes people anxious. And there is a good reason behind such behavior.
Snakes have been the subject of misconceptions and mythical tales since time immemorial. Some cultures even worship snakes. Many mythical snakes such as dragons, the echidna, and the basilisk have been inspired by snakes.
It is rare for snakes to attack humans without provocation and they are more afraid of us than we are of them. However, they have the second highest number of human deaths among all animals. However, some snakes are more deadly and aggressive than others. Read on to learn about the 10 deadliest snakes in the world, from black mambas to king cobras.
Snakes are less common in the northern hemisphere and are mainly found in deserts. India, Australia and North Africa are home to most of the world’s venomous and dangerous snakes. Let’s find out more about the deadliest snakes on the planet, their size, number of deaths and location.
10. Black Mamba
Source: wilder
The black mamba is found in the southern and eastern areas of Africa and is one of the longest and fastest snakes in the world. Black mambas can grow up to 14 feet long and glide at speeds of 12.5 miles per hour. Their large size, combined with their agility, makes them deadly predators.
Black mambas have light gray or brown skin, but get their name from the dark color of the inside of their mouth. The venom of the black mamba is neurotoxic in nature and acts extremely quickly. An infected individual experiences severe pain at first and goes into a coma within an hour. You will be dead from the black mamba venom in 6 hours without an antidote.
9. Boomslang
Source: Britannica Kids
Boomslang is a large and extremely venomous snake found throughout the African continent, but mainly in southern countries such as South Africa, Swaziland, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The snake is known for its distinctive appearance, with large eyes, brightly colored bodies, and an egg-shaped head. Male boomslang are generally green with blue or black scale edges, while females are usually brown.
The boomslang snake does not spray its venom but rather chews its prey until it succumbs. Boomslang venom is a hemotoxin that destroys red blood cells and causes severe internal and external bleeding from all orifices of the body until death.
Another lethal attribute of boomslang is that it only needs to inject the victim with a small dose of poison, and symptoms usually appear when it is too late.
8. Fer-de-Lance
Source: istock
Fer-de-Lance is the most dangerous snake in South America. Fer-de-Lance, found primarily in forests, is between 4 and 7 feet long and is known to be very aggressive. Fer-de-Lance has a lance-shaped head and a long, brown body with diamond-shaped spots. Fer-de-Lance venom has anticoagulant properties and causes death by cerebral hemorrhage. Its venom takes effect within minutes and often causes severe necrosis that turns body tissue black.
7. Russell’s viper
Source: iNaturalist
The Russell’s viper is a snake indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and one of the four large snakes of India. It causes thousands of deaths every year. The Russell’s viper has a round, thick body with a short tail and a length of about 4 to 6 feet.
The Russell’s viper can camouflage itself thanks to its black and brown color and often attacks farmers while hiding in fields. Its venom is very powerful, making it one of the deadliest vipers on the planet. The venom of the Russell’s viper has the capacity to kill 22 humans in a single bite. The venom causes acute hemorrhage, defibrination, hemorrhage, shock, and kidney failure a couple of hours after a snake bite.
6. Eastern tiger snake
Source: iStock
The eastern tiger snake is native to southeastern Australia and looks like a tiger with its yellow and black scales. It has one of the deadliest venoms of all snakes and can cause envenomation in as little as 15 minutes after a bite. The venom of the eastern tiger snake acts as a neurotoxin and causes excruciating pain, tingling, numbness and subsequently breathing difficulties and paralysis.
Related: The 10 Deadliest Fish in the World
5. Saw-scaled viper
Source: wikimedia commons
The saw-scaled viper is the deadliest snake in terms of number of deaths. Scientists estimate that it is responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined. The saw-scaled viper is found in regions of Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. They are one of the scariest and most aggressive snakes and are known for their characteristic threat of producing a high-pitched, sizzling sound when rubbing their bodies. Saw-scaled vipers are small in size and only inject a small amount of venom into a bite, but they can kill a human within hours.
4. Banded Krait
Source: wikimedia commons
The banded krait is one of the most recognizable snakes in the world and, due to its distinctive appearance (black with yellow stripes), it often attacks at night. The banded krait is long and slow during the day and is mainly found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and southern China. The banded krait has an extremely deadly venom that paralyzes the respiratory muscles, preventing the diaphragm from moving and causing death by suffocation.
3. King cobra
Source: az animals
King Cobra is the snake that comes to mind when one thinks of the creature. Native to South Asia, the king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world. The king cobra’s bite is so powerful that it can kill an elephant in a few hours. It can grow up to 18 feet long and lift its head many feet off the ground when provoked. A single king cobra bite can kill a human within 15 minutes, and the snake is known to bite several times in quick succession, injecting around 7 milliliters of venom. King Cobra is one of the few creatures in the animal kingdom that eats its own kind.
2. Coastal Taipan
Source: qfc
The coastal taipan is another deadly snake found in outback Australia and is known for its incredible speed. The coastal taipan bites its victim several times before he can react. Its color varies from light olive to dark brown, but it has reddish eyes. The coastal taipan has a long and thin body.
1. Inland Taipan
Source: money control
The inland taipan is the deadliest and most venomous snake in the world. The inland taipan, found in Australia, is dark tan with dark-edged scales. It has the most toxic venom of all snakes. The venom of the inland taipan has the power to kill 100 humans in a single bite. The effects of the venom begin to appear a few minutes after the bite and can kill the victim in less than an hour. The inland taipan is not an aggressive snake and is wary of humans, but attacks with surprising speed when provoked.
|
Range |
Snake |
Location |
|
10 |
black mamba |
Sub-Saharan and Southern Africa |
|
9 |
Boomslang |
Sub-Saharan Africa |
|
8 |
Fer-de-Lance |
South America |
|
7 |
Russell’s viper |
India, Southeast Asia |
|
6 |
Eastern tiger snake |
Australia |
|
5 |
saw-scaled viper |
Indian subcontinent |
|
4 |
Ringed Krait |
South Asia |
|
3 |
King Cobra |
India, South Asia |
|
2 |
coastal taipan |
Australia |
|
1 |
Inner Taipan |
Australia |
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Source: ptivs2.edu.vn