The "most dangerous snake in the world" debate is entrenched in technicalities because there are so many species of dangerous snakes that have evolved with specialized weapons and deadly skills. These predators threaten small prey in the wild, as well as occasional unlucky humans who cross their paths.
For example, the eastern brown snake or the hooded Indian cobra use extremely potent venom to incapacitate their prey, while boas and other large snakes can squeeze the life out of you. But that's just the nature of nature. All you can do is read on to educate yourself on these deadly species to stand the best chance in the wild.
A Brief Overview of Deadly Snakes
Due to their incredible power, constrictors make up a large percentage of the world's deadliest snakes, but most people envision venomous snakes like the eastern diamondback rattlesnake when picturing deadly snakes.
Although this aggressive snake from North America is far from the deadliest snake found in the world, rattlesnakes, pit vipers and other snake species that rely on quick attacks with venomous fangs are an understandable fear for many travelers walking in nature.
What Is the Largest Venomous Snake?
The world's longest venomous snake is the king cobra species, with an average body length of 18 feet (5.5 meters) and a top slither speed of 12 mph (19 km/h). This snake's bite delivers a venom yield of over 400 mg, leading to high levels of neurotoxicity and tissue damage.
What Is the Treatment for Venomous Snake Bites?
Highly venomous species that possess potent neurotoxic venom produce the most excruciatingly painful bites. Venom toxicity kills red blood cells, effectively clogging blood vessels and cutting off circulation to the venom-injected body region in just a few hours.
The most foolproof way to counteract snake venoms is administering antivenom to the target area as quickly as possible. However, many deaths occur when the snake venom is too strong or the patient can't reach emergency services before they succumb to respiratory or cardiac symptoms.
Antivenom consists of antibodies produced by animals injected with direct samples from venom glands. However, supply is another logistical issue that medical facilities face. Regions where the most venomous species thrive will often have adequate antivenom stocks, but shortages can lead to a race against time for treatment, especially when a victim has received multiple bites.
Top 5 Venomous Snakes in the World
The following list of the world's most venomous snakes would give pause to most explorers — especially Indiana Jones, who famously despises snakes.
5. Saw Scaled Viper (Echis carinatus)
The saw-scaled viper is a fierce snake that poses extreme danger to rural communities in India, Pakistan and various regions in the Middle East. This nocturnal species possesses classic pit-viper characteristics with its flat, triangular head and aggressive figure-eight posture when it's ready to strike.
4. Blue Malayan Coral Snake (Calliophis bivirgatus)
Much like the feared banded krait, this highly venomous coral snake is as much a menace in the sea as it is on land. However, people typically find these red-headed predators hidden in thick piles of leaves on the forest floors of Southeast Asian subtropical regions.
3. Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)
Although the central African boomslang doesn't have the most toxic venom, it is more dangerous than several other snakes on this list because of their exceptional camouflage that helps them blend into the branches of jungle foliage. One moment, you're brushing aside a tree branch, and the next, you're in a race to the nearest hospital.
2. Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)
This North African snake produces some of the most potent venom on the planet. The average venom yield of a black mamba bite is 300 to 400 mg, which is 10 times deadlier than a tiger snake bite and 20 times the amount needed to kill an average adult human.
1. Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)
The inland taipan, not to be confused with the coastal taipan, is considered the most deadly snake in the world. Although they rarely cross paths with humans, an unfortunate passerby can quickly fall victim to this snake's venom. A single bite delivers a surge of highly toxic venom mixed with an enzyme that increases the poison's effectiveness.
Top 5 Deadliest Constrictor Snakes in the World
Some of the most feared snakes in the world are nonvenomous snakes. Although some enthusiasts will keep these giant creatures as pets, they deserve the utmost respect for their deadly and methodical bone-crushing strength.
5. Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus)
This colorful giant is endemic to swampy climates in South America and subtropical regions of the United States. It can grow up to 12 feet (3.5 meters) long. The anaconda subsists mainly on fish and turtles, but larger specimens have been known to take down small deer and other mammals in a gut-wrenching gulp.
4. Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor)
Boa constrictors from Central and South America are just slightly larger than the yellow anaconda with a max body length of 13 feet (4 meters). They typically hunt birds, lizards and small mammals, but even humans would have a challenge wrestling with these titans if they put their hammock in the wrong tree.
3. Southern African Python (Python natalensis)
The Southern African Python can reach a whopping 16 feet (5 meters) long and weigh 69 pounds (31 kg). These pythons are endemic to water-rich regions in much of Central Africa lying south of Ethiopia, where they hunt antelope, warthogs and even deadly crocodiles.
2. Northern African Python (Python sebae)
This northern cousin to the previous species on this list is a slithering assassin that reigns across a large swath of Sub-Saharan Africa. This is the largest snake in Africa, reaching a max length of nearly 20 feet (6 meters). Wildlife experts strongly discourage snake enthusiasts from keeping these giant creatures as pets.
This disclaimer raises an important question: Even if you wanted one, where would you put it?
1. Burmese Python (Python molurus)
You know King Kong. You know Godzilla. Now you can add the Burmese python to the list of enormous predators that live rent-free in your irrational nightmares. And yet, this massive constrictor snake is not a piece of fiction.
Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia and can grow up to over 23 feet (7 meters) and 160 pounds (72.5 kg). Although these deadly creatures typically eat smaller animals whole, they have been known to hunt and kill humans.
Now That's Scintillating
Snakes smell with their tongues. Although snakes have nostrils, they utilize a specialized structure in their forked tongues called a Jacobson's organ to differentiate chemical signatures and lock in on their target prey.
Original article: The Most Dangerous Snake in the World Has Competition
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