Top 15 of the World's Most Dangerous Snakes

Snakes fascinate as much as they frighten 😱. Since the dawn of time man has learned to be wary of these animals, which can prove extremely dangerous to him. Today, there are around 3,600 different species of snake. Most of these species are not dangerous to us, but around 200 of them can represent a greater or lesser danger to man.

What are the top 15 most venomous snakes?

We're going to share with you the top 15 snake species most dangerous to man. Establishing this ranking was no easy task, as these 15 reptiles can prove deadly ☠️! Most of the snakes listed here are of the "venomous" type. Only two are "constrictor" snakes, meaning they use their imposing size to wrap themselves around their victims and squeeze them to the point of depriving them of air.

Some snakes are aggressive, others more timid. To establish this top list objectively, we've chosen to rank these snakes in order of how dangerous they would be if forced to attack a human.

 

15) The Boomslang

Also known as Dispholidus Typhus, the Boomslang is a fast, agile creature with a very powerful venom. Fortunately, it is shy, non-aggressive and hard to find in its native Sub-Saharan Africa. But that hasn't stopped it from gaining a fearsome reputation.

For many years, this species was thought to be harmless, until the world-renowned herpetologist Karl P. Schmidt died of a bite from this animal in 1957. In a single day, he died of respiratory arrest and cerebral haemorrhage, prompting researchers to examine the snake's venom, which unsurprisingly proved to be highly toxic ☣️.

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like a Boomslang? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

Boomslang venom is hemotoxic, meaning it destroys red blood cells, disrupts the clotting process and causes tissue and organ degeneration. This means massive hemorrhaging ensues, causing the victim to bleed from the gums, nose and other orifices. Sometimes, the victim's body turns blue from the extensive internal bleeding. To top it all off, the process can be extremely slow, sometimes taking up to 5 days for the victim to die from internal bleeding. But there is antivenom, so if you're bitten by one of these critters, don't dawdle too long ⌚.

14) The Coral Snake

 The Coral Snake is a small, brightly-colored and highly venomous snake that can be seen in Asia and America. It has one of the strongest venoms of all snakes, but is generally considered less dangerous than the rattlesnake because it has a less efficient poison delivery system. Indeed, because its fangs are short and fixed (they don't retract), it has difficulty penetrating skin and clothing, and delivers its venom through inefficient chewing movements. Moreover, because of its small size, this snake doesn't carry much venom in its fangs.

The neurotoxic venom of this snake causes a variety of symptoms, which become increasingly severe:

• rapid muscle paralysis
• Speech impairment
• Impaired vision
• Respiratory failure
• cardiac arrest 💔

The onset of symptoms in humans can take several hours. In addition, there is often little or no pain or swelling in following a Coral Snake bite. However, if antivenom is not taken, symptoms will occur.

According to National Geographic, although its venom is highly toxic, no deaths from Coral Snake bites have been reported in North America since the late 1960s, the time when antivenom was developed 👌.

 

Where are the top 10 deadliest snakes?

13) The Reticulated Python

 

This is the longest snake species in the world. Native to Southeast Asia, adults typically measure 10m in length and can weigh up to 140kg 😰. The Reticulated Python is thinner than the Anaconda, but makes up for this with its superior length.

Devoid of venom, this Snake's hunting technique is constriction: the Python smothers its prey before swallowing them whole. It is quite capable of swallowing a medium-sized human, which justifies its place in this ranking.

Its main diet consists of monkeys 🐒 and other small mammals. But these snakes are much feared because of their size. Attacks by Reticulated Pythons are fairly rare. However, several times a year in Indonesia people and pets get eaten by this Snake. This giant python normally lives in forests and swamps. But with deforestation, it finds itself close to villages and fields. It feeds on domestic animals (dogs, cats, etc.) and exceptionally on humans in its path.

12) The Yellow Spearhead Viper

The Yellow Spearhead Viper is a species of venomous viper found on the island of Queimada Grande off the coast of Brazil 🏝️. This snake measures an average of 70cm and can grow up to 118cm. They are highly venomous snakes, but as the Yellow Spearhead is on an island uninhabited by humans, there has never been a single bite recorded. But other Lancehead species are responsible for more human deaths than any other snake in America.

The venom of this viper is 5 times more potent than that of their cousin the Jararaca (a South American Spearhead species), and is also the fastest-acting venom of its kind. The mortality rate for Spearhead species is around 7%, if the victim receives no medical treatment. But even if the patient receives treatment, the bite is fatal in 3% of cases ⚰️.

The effects of Spearhead venom include :

• Intense pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• blood in vomit and urine
• intestinal bleeding
• Kidney failure
• Cerebral hemorrhage
• Necrosis of muscle tissue
• We'll spare you the photos...

The Yellow Spearhead Viper has a hemotoxic venom that eats away at flesh and tissue to help digest its prey before it swallows it. But its venom also contains neurotoxic components, to help it kill its prey.

 

11) The Anaconda

 

The name "Anaconda" generally refers to the Green Anaconda. It is the most feared constrictor snake, and one of the most feared snakes in the world. The Anaconda is the heaviest (but not necessarily the largest) snake on the planet. An average Anaconda measures 7m and weighs over 200kg, with a diameter of 38cm. We agree, that's huge. But wait for it: the record for the largest Anaconda is held by a specimen discovered in Brazil in 2016, measuring 10m long and weighing 400kg for a diameter of 1m 😱! Too bad we later learned it was fake-new....

The Anaconda is a South American snake. It lives in water and has only three predators: the Jaguar, the Black Caiman and Man. In other words, all the animals prefer to leave this swamp monster alone...

To feed, the Anaconda uses its enormous body and prodigious strength to wrap itself around its prey and choke it by constriction, before swallowing it whole. It tightens the pressure around its victim each time it exhales. This snake is capable of exerting a pressure of 2kg per square centimetre!

It can also take its prey to the bottom of the water to drown it, once it has planted its fangs in its flesh. An Anaconda is capable of swallowing an animal the size of a goat or a dog whole 🐕. However, even though it is theoretically amply capable of killing and then eating a Man, Anaconda attacks are rare.

 

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

 

10) Mojave Rattlesnake

 

 

The Mojave Rattlesnake, is a highly venomous rattlesnake from the desert regions of the southwestern United States as well as central Mexico 🌎. It is considered by scientists to possess the most toxic venom of all rattlesnake species (a hemotoxic and neurotoxic venom). The Mojave Rattlesnake grows to around 100cm in length (on average), with some specimens reaching 140cm.

The venom of the Mojave rattlesnake is extremely lethal, almost matching the toxicity of that of the Royal Cobra. Mojave Rattlesnake bites often have delayed symptoms, leading individuals to underestimate the severity of their bite. However, within a few hours, the venom takes effect:

• Vision problems
• Difficulty speaking and swallowing
• Muscular weakness
• Respiratory failure
• The lethal dose of Mojave rattlesnake venom is only 0.24mg/kg. So 70mg of its venom is enough to kill 7500 mice 🐁. Knowing that when bitten, this Snake can release up to 1g of venom, for the largest specimens...

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

 

 

9) The Tiger Snake

 

The Tiger Snake is a venomous snake found along the southern sector of Australia and Tasmania. Tiger snakes reach a size of around 120cm in length. Like the cobra, the tiger snake is very aggressive😈 when startled, and flattens its body to raise its head above the ground.

Of the snake bites recorded in Australia between 2005 and 2015, tiger snakes accounted for around 17% of all bites in the region. Out of 119 bites, four people died from complications. Tiger snake venom is composed of powerful neurotoxins, coagulants, myotoxins and hemolysins (quite a cocktail!). Symptoms of their bite include:

• Extreme pain in the feet 🦶 and neck
• Tingling
• Excessive sweating
• Numbness
• Breathing difficulties
• Paralysis.
• The mortality rate for untreated tiger snake bites is almost 60%.

 

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

 

8) The Indian Krait

 

The Indian Krait (or Blue Krait), is a venomous snake around 1m long found mainly in Southeast Asia, including Indochina and Indonesia.

The Blue Krait's venom consists of extremely potent neurotoxins that cause the following symptoms:

• Paralysis of the muscular system
• Difficulty speaking or thinking clearly 🤪
• Inability to breathe within 4 hours of bite
• Total loss of vision
• Unlike other snakes, which produce between 40 and 70 mg of potent venom in their bite, the Blue Krait produces just 10 mg. But this small amount produces the same effects as the other venomous snakes listed in this article with only a quarter of the total volume!

Although people often feel no pain following a Krait bite (which is falsely reassuring), death is common within four hours if left untreated. Untreated mortality rates for Blue Krait bites are a staggering 70-80%... and terrifying 😨.

7) Russell's Viper

 

 

The Russell's Viper, also known as the Chain Viper, is a venomous snake found mainly in Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan and India. These deadly snakes can reach a length of 1.6m.

Chain Adders produce a considerable amount of venom in their bites: between 40 and 70mg. These bites are highly lethal to humans, as the dose of venom from a Russell's Viper needed to kill a human is 55mg (not even the dose contained in a single bite...). Common symptoms of a Chain Viper bite include:

• Excessive bleeding, particularly from the gums and in the urine 🩸
• Rapid drop in blood pressure and heart rate
• Blistering
• Necrosis
• Vomiting
• Renal failure
• There is only one antivenom which is not very effective against the Russell's Viper. Pain from the bite often persists for around four weeks in survivors, and is known to cause severe tissue damage. Around 29% of survivors also suffer brain damage 🧠. This animal is responsible for the majority of snakebite deaths in India.

 

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

 

6) The Cobra

 

Two Cobra species were worthy of inclusion in this ranking: the Philippine Cobra and the famous Royal Cobra 👑. The Philippine Cobra is a species of venomous snake that lives in the north of the Philippine Islands. The average length of the Philippine Cobra is around 1m, but can go up to 1.5m. The Royal Cobra can reach 5.5m and 10kg, making it the largest venomous snake in the world (it's not called "Royal" for nothing!).

The Cobra's venom is not the most powerful of all (lethal dose of 1.31mg/kg), but the quantity delivered per bite can be as much as 500mg, making it one of the most dangerous snakes in the world. Theoretically, a single Cobra bite contains enough venom to kill an animal weighing 600kg or twenty people...

Its venom is composed of a neurotoxin that directly affects the victim's organism:

• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty speaking
• Extreme nausea, diarrhea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Paralysis of the neuromuscular system (nothing works anymore)
• Unlike the Mojave Rattlesnake, symptoms often appear very quickly (in less than thirty minutes!) and death is very swift 💀.

Although treatments exist to help mitigate the venom, they're not always effective, as Cobra bites often result in death. To make matters worse, the Philippine Cobra also possesses the ability to spit its venom from a distance of 3m, causing severe eye damage (including permanent vision loss).

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

 

5) The Black Mamba

 

The Black Mamba is a species of extremely venomous snake found in sub-Saharan Africa. The Mamba is known for its great length, up to 3m. This snake has the particularity of being very fast: it can move up to 20km/h 💨!

Unlike other snakes, the Black Mamba bites several times when it attacks. Its venom, composed mainly of neurotoxins, induces symptoms within just 10min, and is usually fatal if antivenom is not administered promptly. A single Black Mamba bite injects between 100 and 400mg of venom, depending on the size of the individual, and 15mg is enough to kill a human. So in theory, a single bite contains enough venom to kill between 12 and 40 men.

Rather than causing local swelling and necrosis (like many venomous snake bites), Black Mamba venom causes :

• Severe tingling
• Metallic taste in the mouth
• Neurological dysfunction
• Blurred vision
• Paralysis of the respiratory system
• Inability to speak
• Nausea and vomiting 🤢
• Extreme sweating
• Humans bitten by a Black Mamba are completely paralyzed within 45min, and often die within 7h if medical treatment is not administered promptly.

 

 

 

 4) The Viper of Death

 

 

 With a name like that, it's hard not to include this snake in this ranking!

The Death Adderis a venomous snake found in Australia and New Guinea. It is considered one of the world's deadliest snakes. Although it looks like an adder, it's actually a member of the elapidae 🐍 snake family, which includes Cobras and Black Mambas (gives you an idea of the beast...). This viper can strike its prey and inject venom in less than 0.15 seconds.

Death Adder venom is a highly potent neurotoxin (we're getting used to it). It injects an average of 40 to 100mg of venom with each bite. The lethal dose of this venom is 0.4 to 0.5mg/kg! It's even said that Cleopatra used this snake to commit suicide...

Bites from this snake are extremely lethal and can result in death within 6 hours if treatment is not administered ⌚. Like other snakes on this list, the venom often causes:

• Paralysis
• Complete respiratory arrest
• Although antivenoms have been developed for Death Adders, deaths still occur following their bite as the antivenom can only slow the progression of symptoms to a certain extent.

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

3) Eastern Brown Snake

The Eastern Brown Snake is an extremely dangerous snake found in Australia and New Guinea. This snake is quite slender, reaching an average length of 2m.

The venom of the Eastern Brown Snake is one of the most powerful in the world, and is responsible for more deaths in Australia than any other snake species. Of 19 Brown Snake bites reported between 2005 and 2015 in Australia, 15 resulted in death due to their extreme potency.

A Brown Snake bite injects an average of 5mg of venom. Not much, is it? Sure, but the venom from a single bite of this snake is theoretically powerful enough to kill 80 adult men 😓. It's immediately less ridiculous.

The venom of this venomous snake attacks its victim's cardiovascular system, and symptoms of a bite include:

• Blood clotting
• Sudden drop in blood pressure
• Severe bleeding 🩸
• Heart failure
• Kidney failure
• Extreme vomiting
• Symptoms arrive very quickly: within 15min of the bite.

But depending on the amount of venom injected during the bite, some individuals have been known to develop extreme symptoms in as little as 2min. Although antivenom has been available since 1956, the extremely rapid onset of symptoms often negates the effects of antivenom, as victims often go into cardiac arrest before appropriate care can be given.

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

2) Belcher's sea snake

 

Long wrongly perceived as the world's most venomous snake, Belcher's SeaSnake (or "Faded Banded Sea Snake") is an extremely venomous snake of the elapidae family (Cobras, Mambas and all that...). It is commonly found in the South Asian Seas 🌏. This snake is relatively small (around 1m long), with a slender body.

The Belcher sea snake is so venomous that a single bite can kill an individual in less than 45min. Fortunately, the snake's shyness often prevents it from attacking humans. What's more, scientific studies have shown that the snake can control its venom secretion, releasing venom in only a quarter of its bites.

Belcher Sea Snake venom contains high levels of neurotoxins and myotoxins. A single bite contains enough venom to kill 100 people. Known symptoms include:

• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Dizziness 🥴
• Convulsions
• Total paralysis
• Extreme bleeding
• Respiratory failure
• Kidney failure
• Although antivenoms are available to counter the deadly snakebite, immediate treatment is crucial to prevent death.

 

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

 

1) Inner Taipan

 

What is the 1 deadliest snake?

Determining the "deadliest" snake can depend on how one defines "deadliest"—whether by venom potency, potential for causing human fatalities, or likelihood of encountering people. However, based on venom potency and the potential severity of envenomation, the Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) is often considered the deadliest snake in the world.

Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)

1. Venom Potency:

• LD50: The inland taipan has the most toxic venom of any snake, with an LD50 value of about 0.025 mg/kg in mice. This means that even a tiny amount of venom can be lethal.

2. Venom Composition:

• The venom contains a potent mix of neurotoxins, hemotoxins, and procoagulants, which can cause severe systemic effects, including paralysis, bleeding, and kidney damage.

3. Effects:

• Symptoms: The bite can lead to symptoms such as intense pain, swelling, internal bleeding, and paralysis. Without prompt antivenom treatment, envenomation can result in death due to respiratory failure or severe hemorrhaging.

4. Human Encounters:

• Behavior: Fortunately, the inland taipan is reclusive and rarely comes into contact with humans. Its natural habitat is in the arid regions of central Australia, where it avoids human activity.

5. Antivenom:

• Availability: Antivenom is available and effective if administered promptly, which significantly reduces the risk of death from a bite.

The inland taipan is considered the deadliest snake due to its highly toxic venom and the severe effects it can have on humans. However, because it is rare and tends to avoid human contact, bites are relatively uncommon. When assessing "deadliness," it is also important to consider factors such as venom yield, bite frequency, and human encounters, which can vary among different snake species.

The Inner Taipan (or "Desert Taipan")is a venomous snake that resides in South Asia. It belongs to the Cobra family and is considered the most venomous snake in the world.

Taipan venom is 50 times more toxic than Cobra venom, and contains extremely high levels of neurotoxins. The amount of venom contained in one Taipan bite is theoretically sufficient to kill 150 adult men. Death usually occurs 30 minutes after the bite.

A single taipan bite causes :

• paralysis of the nervous system
• The formation of blood clots, preventing blood circulation in the blood vessels.

Although there is an antivenom against the venomous bite of the Taipan 👨‍🔬, very few people survive the bite due to the severity and immediacy of the symptoms. Without antivenin, only one individual has survived a Taipan bite to date.

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

 

Snakes: dangerous killers?

And that's all from this Top 15 list of the World's Most Dangerous Snakes! These animals can be deadly, thanks in particular to the properties of snake venom. But they're not the man-killers many people think they are. Most snakes only attack when they feel threatened, and prefer to flee rather than fight 💨.

 

Want to know what it's like to have a snake wrapped around your finger like an Anaconda? Then take a look at our  Snake Rings!

Is Australia home to 21 of the world's 25 most venomous snakes?

At Snake Label® we want to honor these magnificent but often misunderstood reptiles. We want to change the negative view of snakes held by most people. Our passion for these animals shines through in our snake-themed clothing, jewelry and accessories.

Dive into the fascinating world of snakes and explore our other articles now!

 

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