While there are hundreds of species of snakes on Earth, only a handful of them can cause real damage to humans. However, a select few are some of the most dangerous creatures on the planet.
The most deadly snakes known to researchers come from all over the world. They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors and all have different attributes making them highly lethal. Check out some of the world’s deadliest snakes below:
Black Mamba
The Black Mamba, which is actually more of a grayish color, is actually called “black” because of its black mouth. These snakes are massive growing up to 14 long. As the fastest of all snakes, Black Mambas slither at 12 mph. Its venom is highly potent. Only two drops are enough to kill a person. Without antivenin, their venom is 100 percent fatal. The venom can cause cardiac and pulmonary collapse within 3 minutes and death within 3 hours, according to Field and Stream. Black Mambas typically live in the savannas among other places in eastern Africa.
Saw-Scaled Viper
The saw-scaled viper only grows to a yard at the longest. However, what it may lack in size compared to these other snakes, it makes up for in hostile temperament. They kill more humans in their range than all other snakes combined. The snake’s name is derived from its specialized scales they rub together when giving a warning. Its complex venom is a mixture of hemotoxins, neurotoxins, cytotoxins, and cardiotoxins. Saw-scaled vipers are typically found in India, Africa, and the Middle-East.
King Cobra
King Cobras are the largest venomous snakes in the world. They can grow up to 18 feet. These serpents can pack two-tenths of a fluid ounce in a bite. This is enough to kill 20 people or one elephant. Even though they are so dangerous, King Cobras are non-aggressive and they are quite intelligent. King Cobras are primarily found in India, southern China, and southeast Asia.
Gaboon Viper
Interestingly, Gaboon vipers typically aren’t aggressive and are hard to make angry. However, it’s one of the most dangerous snakes in the world. Its size and potent venom make them incredibly lethal. Not to mention, the Gaboon viper has the longest fangs of any venomous snake at 2 inches. They also produce more venom than any serpent behind the King Cobra. People bitten by Gaboon vipers call it the most agonizing of any snakebite.
Inland Taipan
The Inland Taipan has the most lethal venom in the world. One bite is enough to kill 100 men or 250k mice. The venom is a neurotoxin with traces of hemotoxin. If bitten by an Inland Taipan, a person can die within 30 minutes. The venom paralyzes muscles, inhibits breathing, and causes hemorrhaging blood vessels and tissues, according to Britannica.
Mojave Rattlesnake
The Mojave Rattlesnake, or the Eastern Diamondback, is one of the largest venomous snakes in the world. A rattlesnake’s venom is extremely potent and comes in different varieties. The experts at Field and Stream say: “Depending on where a Mojave lives, its venom can be mainly neurotoxic with overtones of hemotoxin, or vice-versa, or a more or less equal mix of the two.”
The Boomslang
The boomslang, one of Africa’s most dangerous snakes, gets its name from the way it strikes its prey. These serpents hunt by “extending the forward part of its body motionless from a tree, its form mimicking a branch,” according to Britannica.
[H/T Field and Stream, Britannica, Live Science]
