Snakes are feared and revered by humans all over the world. While most snakes pose no threat to people, some species are extremely venomous and can inflict lethal bites. Out of the roughly 3,700 known snake species, around 600 are venomous.
The deadliest snakes are characterized by their highly toxic venom that attacks the nervous system or blood and tissues. Bites from these snakes can quickly paralyze victims, lead to bleeding disorders that prevent blood from clotting, cause kidney failure, respiratory paralysis, permanent disability, and death if not treated promptly with anti-venom.
Many factors influence the lethality of a snake including the potency and amount of venom injected, the efficiency of the venom delivery system, the size of the snake, location of bite on the victim’s body, health of the victim, and accessibility to healthcare and antivenom treatment.
Here are 10 of the most deadly and dangerous snakes in the world:
1. Inland Taipan
The Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake, which inhabits remote areas of Australia, is considered the world’s most venomous land snake. It has the most toxic venom of any land snake based on tests on mice.
The Taipan’s venom consists of taipoxin and protease enzymes which affect the nervous system and blood clotting. Its venom can cause neurological effects within minutes and can kill an adult human within 45 minutes if untreated.
This snake can inject large amounts of venom in a rapid series of bites. Its venom is estimated to be 200-400 times more toxic than most rattlesnake venom.
There is no specific antivenom for Inland Taipan bites, but the polyvalent antivenom made in Australia effectively treats its bites. Despite its fearsome reputation, the remote range of the Taipan means bites are very rare and there have been no known fatalities.
2. Eastern Brown Snake
The Eastern Brown Snake, found throughout eastern Australia, is considered the world’s second most venomous land snake. Its fast-acting venom contains toxins that disable the blood clotting process causing uncontrollable bleeding.
Without antivenom treatment, bites from Eastern Brown Snakes are fatal 60% of the time. Its venom can cause cardiac arrest, paralysis, and serious organ damage. It typically injects large doses of venom when it bites.
Eastern Brown Snake antivenom is highly effective in treating envenomation. This aggressive snake is responsible for around 60% of snake bite deaths in Australia due to its broad range near populated areas.
3. Coastal Taipan
The Coastal Taipan inhabits coastal regions of northern and eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea. It has a highly potent neurotoxin in its venom that affects the nervous system.
The venom contains taipoxin and protease enzymes which disable the victim’s ability to breathe, causing respiratory paralysis. Without medical treatment, its bite can be fatal within 30 minutes.
Coastal Taipan venom is among the most toxic in the world based on tests on mice. Envenomation is treated with antivenom, and fatalities are rare due to antivenom access.
4. Tiger Snake
Tiger Snakes comprise a genus of extremely venomous snakes native to Australia and southern regions of New Guinea. They have potent neurotoxic and coagulopathic venoms that can cause paralysis, breathing difficulties, uncontrollable bleeding, and kidney damage.
Without prompt antivenom treatment, the fatality rate from Tiger Snake bites can be as high as 40-60%. They often deliver high doses of venom and are responsible for many snakebite deaths in Australia.
Tiger Snake antivenom is very effective in treating bites. The type of antivenom depends on the species since Tiger Snakes have diverse venoms with different effects.
5. Black Mamba
The Black Mamba is a highly venomous snake endemic to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the fastest snakes in the world and can inject large quantities of potent neuro- and cardiotoxin with each bite.
The venom contains toxins that attack the nervous system causing respiratory failure, paralysis, tremors, and death without antivenom. Its neurotoxins can potentially kill in as little as 20 minutes.
Although Black Mamba antivenom is widely available and effective, bites have about a 20% fatality rate due to the rapid progression of symptoms. It is considered one of Africa’s most dangerous snakes.
6. Saw-Scaled Viper
The Saw-Scaled Viper, found in parts of the Middle East, India, Sri Lanka, and Africa, is responsible for more human fatalities than any other snake species. Its venom has potent hemotoxic properties leading to bleeding and toxicity.
Saw-Scaled Vipers often live close to human settlements. They have an irritable temperament and frequently inflict fatal bites. Victims typically die from bleeding complications including intracranial hemorrhage.
Antivenom is the main treatment and fatalities can be minimized if it is administered promptly. Due to the large number of bites, Saw-Scaled Vipers cause thousands of human deaths per year.
7. Carpet Viper
Carpet Vipers comprise a large genus of venomous snakes inhabiting Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Their venom has potent hemotoxic properties that destroy blood cells and tissues while also anticoagulating the blood to prevent clotting.
The effects include bleeding gums, bruising, hemorrhaging, kidney failure, cardiovascular shock, and necrosis. Carpet Viper fatalities are common due to the delayed onset of severe hemorrhaging after bites.
Carpet Viper snake antivenom is produced in several regions it inhabits and can effectively treat envenomation if administered rapidly. Carpet Vipers likely cause the most snakebite fatalities in Africa.
8. Philippine Cobra
The Philippine Cobra is a highly venomous species of Spitting Cobra native to the northern Philippines. It has potent postsynaptic neurotoxins in its venom that affect nerve transmission, leading to breathing issues, paralysis, and death in severe untreated cases.
This snake can deliver large doses of venom by injection or by spit. Its venom also contains cytotoxins that can cause tissue damage at the bite site. Bites have about a 50% fatality rate without proper antivenom treatment.
Antivenom produced for related Naja Cobra species can be used to treat envenomation. Fatalities occur but are relatively low due to available antivenom supplies.
9. Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a large genus of venomous pit vipers found throughout North and South America. They have hemotoxic venom that destroys tissue and blood cells and stops blood from clotting.
Signs and symptoms include pain, swelling, bruising, bleeding disorders, necrosis, respiratory paralysis, shock, and kidney failure. Without medical care, bites have a mortality rate of 10-20%.
Antivenom and supportive treatment is highly effective in managing bites. Rattlesnakes account for the majority of snakebite fatalities in Mexico and the United States. Several species like the Eastern Diamondback are capable of delivering large, potentially fatal doses of venom.
10. King Cobra
The King Cobra is the longest venomous snake species, reaching up to 18 feet long. Native to Asia, it preys on other snakes and has highly potent neurotoxic venom that attacks the central nervous system.
A King Cobra bite can result in respiratory paralysis, cardiac arrest, blackouts, convulsions, and death within 30 minutes without treatment. Despite its reputation as deadly, fatalities are uncommon due to the remote forested areas it inhabits.
Antivenom produced for related cobra species is effective in treating King Cobra envenomation. Though considered less toxic than some elapids, the King Cobra’s large size enables it to inject massive doses of venom.
Conclusion
Snakes have evolved extremely potent venoms to immobilize and digest prey. Some of these venoms prove deadly to humans in the absence of prompt medical treatment.
The most toxic snake venoms contain neurotoxins that paralyze breathing and cardiovascular function, as well as hemotoxins that lead to uncontrollable bleeding. Although antivenoms prevent most snakebite fatalities where available, snakes remain medically important threats in many parts of the world.
The Inland Taipan, Eastern Brown Snake, Coastal Taipan, and other species indigenous to Australia are considered some of the most venomous in the world based on toxicology tests. Snakes like the Saw-Scaled Viper and Carpet Viper are also notorious for the high number of human fatalities they cause each year, primarily in rural areas of Africa and Asia.
While all these snakes can potentially inflict lethal bites, the remote and sparsely populated habitats of snakes like the Inland Taipan mean human encounters are rare. Meanwhile, snakes that share territory with dense human populations are responsible for the majority of annual snakebite deaths worldwide.
| Rank | Snake | Venom Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inland Taipan | Neurotoxin | Australia |
| 2 | Eastern Brown Snake | Coagulopathic | Australia |
| 3 | Coastal Taipan | Neurotoxin | Australia, New Guinea |
| 4 | Tiger Snake | Neurotoxin, Coagulopathic | Australia, New Guinea |
| 5 | Black Mamba | Neurotoxin | Africa |
| 6 | Saw-Scaled Viper | Hemotoxic | Africa, Middle East, India, Sri Lanka |
| 7 | Carpet Viper | Hemotoxic | Africa, Middle East, Asia |
| 8 | Philippine Cobra | Neurotoxin, Cytotoxin | Philippines |
| 9 | Rattlesnake | Hemotoxic | Americas |
| 10 | King Cobra | Neurotoxin | Asia |
