The Most Dangerous Snakes On The Planet Will Give You Nightmares
Snakes get a bad rap, but really, most of them are quite harmless. Only around 15% of the 3000 snake species in the world are venomous, and only a few of those snakes are venomous enough to seriously harm a human.
Still, if you don't know much about snakes, it makes sense if you don't want to take your chances with any of them. Some kinds of snakes are really dangerous and even deadly to humans. Keep reading to learn about some of the most dangerous and venomous snakes in the world. Some of these snakes are so venomous that their bite will kill you within 30 minutes, while one can accurately spit its venom into your eye from 23 feet away.
Saw-Scaled Vipers Will Give You A Stroke
The Saw-Scaled Viper literally has a deadly weapon in its name, so you know that this snake has to be dangerous. This snake gets its name because it can rub parts of its body together to create a scraping noise that scares off predators.
Its venom is highly potent and can cause strokes in humans. These snakes are nocturnal, and they normally hunt at night. They're found in the dry regions of Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka.
Boomslangs
The Boomslang snake is one of the most beautiful snakes... and one of the deadliest. The emerald green snake is found in sub-Saharan Africa and has a tricky type of bite. The snake can open its jaws 180 degrees to inject you using fangs that are at the back of its jaw.
The venom doesn't start to take effect until hours later, so many victims don't think they've been harmed. Thanks to the delayed symptoms, victims won't seek treatment and by the time they do, it's too late.
Black-Necked Spitting Cobras
If you thought that last snake was scary, how about this creature that can spit venom from up to 23 feet away. Oh, by the way, that venom could make you go blind permanently. Also, this snake can grow to be over 7 feet long. Yeah, the Black-Necked Spitting Cobra really is something to be afraid of. These snakes are mostly found in sub-Saharan Africa.
Luckily, the cobra's venom is actually pretty harmless if it just touches your skin. It's your eyes you have to worry about.
Indian Cobras
Have you ever seen those old cartoons of snake charmers coaxing a cobra out of a basket? Well, snake charmers still exist, and they still work with very dangerous cobras. The Indian Cobra is the same snake that you read about in many myths and legends in the Hindu religion. It's also the snake that many snake charmers will "entrance" with music.
The Indian Cobra's venom is very dangerous and if a bite from this snake isn't treated immediately, it can cause a heart attack within 15 minutes.
A King Cobra
The King Cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world. An adult King Cobra can grow anywhere from 10-13 feet long and the longest in history was 19 feet. Its bite is fatal to humans if untreated, and its size means that it carries large doses of venom. In fact, the amount of venom in a King Cobra's bite is enough to kill an elephant.
Don't be too scared though, King Cobras prefer to eat other snakes.
Sea Snakes
Sea snakes are snakes that can swim. These animals can actually move quite quickly in the water. If you thought all you had to worry about in the ocean were sharks, think again. You're not safe from snakes in the deep blue sea. Sea Snakes are found along the coasts of Southeast Asia and throughout the Pacific Ocean.
Sea Snakes are actually more venomous than many land snakes. They spend their whole lives underwater, although they do have to come up to the surface to breathe.
The Philippine Cobra
If you thought you could avoid venomous snakes by simply keeping your distance, the Philippine Cobra is here to prove you wrong. That's because it is a spitting cobra that can accurately shoot its toxic venom up to ten feet away. If the venom comes in contact with any body fluids or blood, it can cause headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness.
The Philippine Cobra makes its home in ponds, forests, fields, and farms, and will lurk silently until it's too late.
The Coastal Taipan
The Coastal Taipan is a species of snake native to Australia and New Guinea. It's the third-most venomous land snake and the longest one in Australia. The Coastal Taipan can grow up to 6.6 feet long and can way up to 15 pounds. The largest one ever found was 11 feet long!
While the body might be intimidating it's the coastal taipan's bite that you should worry about. The toxin is so potent that it can kill you within half an hour.
Puff Adders
This is a photo of a Puff Adder snake, and this little guy is responsible for most of the reported snake bites in Arabia and Africa. Luckily, it's not the most venomous snake in the world. These guys bite often, but their bites can be treated with anti-venom. if left untreated, a bite from this snake could be quite harmful, though.
If you find yourself in Africa or Arabia, it's best to stay away from any kind of puffy looking snakes.
The Common Lancehead
The Common Lancehead can be found in South America and parts of the Caribbean. This snake is just as aggressive as the Puff Adder. If you were bitten by a snake in the Caribbean, it was probably a Lancehead snake.
This snake is also known as the Bothrops atrox or yellow beard snake, and it's quite common to find them on coffee and banana plantations. They mostly eat rats, but they've been known to bite a plantation worker if they feel like they're being threatened.
The Eyelash Viper
This snake is as dangeous as it is gorgeous. Look at that color and those dreamy eyelashes! Well, they're really eyelids, but they look like eyelashes. These snakes are found throughout Central and South America.
They feed on small rodents as well as small birds, lizards, and frogs. The snake in this photo is yellow, but eyelash vipers come in a wide variety of colors including green, red, pink, and brown. Their fangs fold back into their jaws when not in use.
The Chinese Cobra
As its name suggests, The Chinese Cobra is mostly found in China and some neighboring regions. These snakes have a distinctive horseshoe marking on their hoods. Let that horseshoe marking be a warning because these snakes are highly venomous. If you get bit by one of these snakes, the effects of the venom could cause you harm for years.
These snakes are considered endangered and efforts are being taken to make sure they don't go extinct.
Belcher's Sea Snake
The Belcher's Sea Snake is also called a faint-banded sea snake. These creatures are extremely venomous. If you were to get bitten by one of these snakes, you would lose feeling in your lower extremities almost immediately. Eventually, you would be paralyzed to the point where you would be unable to breathe on your own.
Luckily, these snakes are relatively timid and must be severely provoked before they attack. Belcher's Sea Snakes live in parts of Asia and Australia.
Anacondas
The anaconda is one of the largest snakes in the world and uses every foot of its body to crush its prey. The good news about anacondas is that they aren't very aggressive.
The bad news is that if they're hungry, they are one of the most unstoppable predators in the world. The largest recorded anaconda on record was 28 feet long, so you can imagine the size prey that can take down for a quick meal.
An Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
It might not be the longest, but the most venomous snake in North America is the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. It can be found in Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The venom is injected through what feels like "two hot hypodermic needles." If you get bit you can expect to experience bleeding, a ton of pain, and possibly death.
Luckily, the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake isn't aggressive. It will only attack if it is cornered or feels threatened, so if you see the distinctive grey, black, and tan snake, just walk away.
The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
The Western counterpart of the Diamondback Rattlesnake is one of the most famous in North America. It's a common sight in the American Southwest and even found its way onto the logo of Arizona's MLB team. The Western version is smaller and more tan-colored than the Eastern snake.
The difference in deadliness is that the Western Diamondback has oversized venom glands so it can inject a larger, deadlier dose in a single bite. Luckily, the Western Diamondback is also non-aggressive.
Russell's Vipers
This type of viper is also found in India and Southeast Asia, but it's particularly threatening to humans because it can be found in urban areas. Russell's Vipers will leave their natural habitat of grassy and bushy areas and enter cities to prey on small mammals. While Russell's Vipers will decrease the rat population of a city, they will also strike against humans that they feels threatened by.
Russell's Vipers can grow up to six feet long and have aggressive attitudes, so they're considered one of the deadliest snakes in India.
Monocled Cobras
The Monocled Cobra is one of the most beautiful snakes in the world, but you don't want to get close enough to see its speckled pattern. It has a striking eye-shaped pattern on its hood and can be brown, orange, or white.
Located in South and Southeast Asia, the Monocled Cobra lurks in wetlands and swamps to wait for its prey. The bite of the Monocled Cobra is particularly venomous and can kill a human within an hour.
Eastern Brown Snakes
It might have a relatively boring name but the Eastern Brown Snake is the second-most venomous in the world. It is located in Australia and can be found in rural areas that are common hiking sites. If the Eastern brown snake bites you, the venom will quickly coagulate your blood and stop it from flowing.
The Eastern Brown Snake only resides in half of Australia but it's responsible for a whopping 60% of snake bite deaths on the continent.
The Blue Malayan Coral Snake
The Blue Malayan Coral Snake is one of the most beautiful snakes in the world... as well as the deadliest. That's because the snake's venom is powerful enough to make a victim's nerves fire off all at once. That means after a bite the victim experiences body spasms and paralysis that lead to a shockingly quick death.
The Blue Malayan Coral Snake is so deadly that it's considered a "killer's killer" because they prey on other venomous snakes.
The Black Mamba
The time has come to talk about the Black Mamba, which is the most venomous snake on this list and on the planet. A single black mamba has enough venom in it to kill ten adult humans. When these snakes bite, they usually strike multiple times.
The Black Mamba is so dangerous that its name has even taken on its own dangerous subculture. People often use the name of this snake to refer to things and people that present a kind of danger.
Ring-Necked Snakes
Usually, when animals come in colors as vibrant and bright as ring-necked snakes, it means they are incredibly dangerous. In this case, the color is a lie. Ring-necked snakes are venomous, but are also considered harmless to humans.
The reason they make this list is because of how they kill their prey. Once their food is targeted, they strike, wrapping themselves around the animal. Then, as they constrict their food, they bite them, injecting venom into them.
Inland Taipans
Do you remember how intimidating the Coastal Taipan is? Well, the Inland Taipan isn't much nicer. The Inland Taipan is a smaller snake that is located in Australia and has the most toxic venom in the world.
Each bite from the Inland Taipan delivers a deadly mixture of neurotoxins, mycotoxins, and hemotoxins. That means it will begin to attack your nervous system, muscles, and blood simultaneously. The Coastal Taipan might be small but it holds enough venom to kill up to 100 people, so watch out.
Egyptian Cobras
Not only is the Egyptian Cobra one of the deadliest snakes but it's also the most feared in Egyptian tradition. The Egyptian Cobra is the same snake that was featured on King Tutankhamen's gold burial mask and is a large part of their mythology.
In modern-day Egypt, most people have a healthy respect for the Egyptian Cobra and leave it alone. It's also smart to keep your distance because the Egyptian Cobra has especially large fangs that can inject larger doses of venom.
The Many-Banded Krait
The Many-Banded Krait, also referred to as a Chinese Krait or Taiwanese Krait, has a distinctive black and white striped skin. It can grow anywhere from 4 1/2 to 6 feet in length.
Kraits are native to Asia and dwell in marshy areas but are sometimes found in suburbs or even cities. They feed on fish, other snakes, frogs, eels, and rodents. This is one of the most venomous land snakes in the world.
Jararacas
Native to South America, the Jararaca is a venomous pit viper that frequently bites humans. Located primarily in southern Brazil, northern Argentina, and northeastern Paraguay, the Jararaca's name is a combination of two Portuguese words which together mean "large snake."
They're usually located hiding out under vegetation, even in open savanna regions. They can reach a maximum length of roughly 63 inches, but their average length is typically around 23 inches. The Jaracara's venom is used to make drugs that treat congestive heart failure and hypertension.
The Western Green Mamba
Green Mambas, found throughout rainforests and wooded areas in West Africa, are active during the day. They spend the majority of their time in trees and live on a diet consisting mainly of bats, birds, lizards, and various small rodents.
One of the fastest snakes on the planet, a Green Mamba behaves differently than other varieties in that it strikes its prey and then backs off. After the prey has died, the snake returns and swallows it.
Bothrops Aspers
Bothrops Aspers, sometimes referred to as "the ultimate pit vipers," have distinctively broad and flat heads. They're found primarily in South America but also dwell as far north as Mexico and in some lowland Atlantic coastal areas such as Costa Rica and Panama.
These snakes use caudal luring, a technique where they lure prey with their differently-colored tail tips. Their venom is extremely toxic and Bothrops Aspers feed on a variety of prey, from tiny lizards up to opossums.
Forest Cobras
Although the Forest Cobra is not as dangerous as its Indian counterpart, a bite from one will still send a human to the emergency room with life-threatening levels of venom. This is one of the largest cobra species and can grow to a total length of up to 10 feet.
They prefer African savanna and forest habitats but can live in a variety of environments and can even swim! When cornered, a forest cobra will hiss and spread its hood, just like Indian cobras.
Dubois' Sea Snakes
Dubois' Sea Snake, also known as a Reef Shallows Sea Snake, is another deadly serpent that dwells in the sea. Out of all the snakes on earth, this is one you definitely want to avoid -- it's in the top three most venomous snakes in the world! Despite their venom's potency, a Dubois' Sea Snake doesn't deliver a ton of it when biting,
They live underwater in reefs, at depths up to nearly 300 feet, and feed on eels and other types of seafloor fish.
Western Browns
Don't let the plain Jane name "Western Brown" fool you. These Australian natives are super speedy and highly venomous. Their other name is "Gwardar" which is an Aboriginal word meaning "go the long way around" -- sounds like a serious warning to avoid these guys!
The Western Brown snake can grow to about six feet long and is found throughout Australia. They eat small mammals such as mice, as well as lizards.
The Tiger Snake
The Australian Tiger Snake is known for its aggressive nature and toxic venom, but in reality, are rarely encountered by humans. They're recognized by their yellow and black cross-bands but are also seen in other colors including brown, black, and white.
Tiger Snakes live in Tasmania, a highly inhospitable territory, and are considered great adaptors for their ability to survive in such a harsh terrain. Prey size helps to dictate how large these snakes grow as adults.
The Death Adder
The Death Adder got its fearful name because it's one of the most venomous land snakes worldwide. It has a wide triangular head and a thick banded body. Death Adders can reach lengths of around two to three feet.
These snakes live in Australia's forests, grasslands, woodlands, although their habitat is shrinking. They're also threatened by the rapid spread of invasive Cane toads, which feed on juvenile death adders. Additionally, adult death adders attempt to eat the Cane toads, which are poisonous and kill the snakes.
The Blue-Bellied Black Snake
Not to be confused with the Red-Bellied Black snake, the Blue-Bellied variety is quite aggressive and exerts distinctive behaviors before it attacks. When it feels threatened, this snake holds its body in an S-shape and hisses loudly.
After biting its prey, the Blue-Bellied snake will hold on and continue to chew. Its venom contains coagulants, hemolysins, neurotoxins, and cytotoxins. These deadly snakes are found in Australia, in southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales.
The Mulga
The Mulga, or King Brown snake, is another deadly entry from Australia. This species typically grows from 6.6 to 8.2 feet long, with weights of 6.6 to 13.2 pounds. Some specimens can grow to 12 feet long!
Their venom acts on victims' striated muscle and causes paralysis. The most recent death from a king brown snake bite was recorded in 1969. The antivenom for a Mulga bite comes from Black snakes.
The Gaboon Viper
Gaboon Vipers, the largest vipers in Africa, can grow to weigh more than 45 pounds and extend to lengths of more than 6 feet. Some specimens have been found with heads measuring six inches across.
They're excellent at camouflaging themselves since their coloring resembles leaves. This is how they catch their meals of small and medium-sized mammals and birds, by waiting in hiding until an unsuspecting victim happens along. Most human bites occur when a person doesn't see the snake and accidentally steps on it.
Small-Eyed Snakes
The Small-Eyed snake is yet another dangerous entry from Australia. They live in rainforests as well as eucalyptus forests, and like most snakes are active at night. During the day they can be found hiding under rocks, vegetation, and tree bark.
They pack a lethal punch with their myotoxic venom, but are only known to have killed one human. The Small-Eyed snake feeds on other (smaller) snakes, lizards and their eggs, and frogs. Unlike most snakes, they give birth to live young.
The Australian Copperhead
The Australian Copperhead is not closely related to the American version. From the Elapidae family, the Australian Copperhead can range in color from a deep copper to brown to a yellow or reddish color.
Its neurotoxic venom can easily kill a human if first aid isn't given in time. One fatality and a dozen Copperhead bites have been recorded in Australia. These snakes typically eat other snakes, frogs, and lizards.
Collette's Snakes
Collett's snake received its name from a Norwegian zoologist named Robert Collet, who found a young one and noticed that it was a different variety than previously identified. This Australian species is also called Collett's Cobra, Down's Tiger snake, or Collett's Black snake.
Even though these snakes are highly venomous and have been known to injure many people, they're popular as house pets. People who are bitten by Collette's snakes experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and severe headaches. If left untreated, the victim will go into acute renal failure.
The Beaked Sea Snake
Also known as the Hook-Nosed Sea Snake, Common Sea Snake, or the Valakadyn Sea Snake, this species is native to the Indo-Pacific region. This is a snake to avoid at all costs; it is responsible for more than half of sea snake bites to humans, including the majority of fatal bites.
Active during the daytime as well as nighttime, the Beaked Sea Snake can stay underwater for five hours and is able to dive 100 meters deep.
Caspian Cobras
The central Asian species known primarily as the Caspian Cobra is also known as the Central Asian Cobra, Russian Cobra, Ladle Snake, or Oxus Cobra. This is a relatively short species, averaging around three and a half feet in length. They live in arid to semiarid environments.
Caspian Cobras tend to avoid humans, but when threatened by one are extremely aggressive -- even the juveniles. They feed on toads, frogs, rodents, birds and eggs, and the occasional fish.
The Rhabdophis
There's a difference between poisonous and venomous snakes. Venomous snakes bite in order to release their toxins into prey. But poisonous snakes release their toxins when they are ingested by another creature. There aren't many species of snakes that are poisonous.
Rhabdophis, or Keelback snakes, have special glands in their necks that collect poison from animals they eat, such as toads. If an animal attempts to bite one, the snake will release this poison directly into the predator's mouth.
