Deadliest Snakes in the World

Tap to Read ➤ Omkar Phatak

Sleek, shiny, scary, armed with enough venom to take down an army; meet the deadliest serpents on earth.

Snakes gives some people the jitters and makes most people uncomfortable. Most snakes of the world are harmless. Their slithering apearance seems to instill fear in the human mind.

Though, most of the different types of snakes are quiet ones, who like to mind their own business, there are a few who should be feared due to their aggressive nature and venomous bites, which can turn out to be fatal. Unfortunately, these few deadly snakes have given the whole class of reptiles, a bad name, in the human world.

Throughout the world, every year, about 50,000 to 100,000 people die from a venomous snakebite. Many unwary nature lovers have been the victims of venomous snakes. Death is quick and easy, when you are bitten by the world's deadliest snake, as nature has granted it venom, which spreads fast in your body and kills in no time.

What makes a snake deadly? Is it just the venom? There are many more factors like the speed with which the snake moves and how aggressive it is. Some are very venomous, but they are not that aggressive. That is, they will not attack unless they are bothered.

Some are just naturally so aggressive, that they can't help but stick their fangs into anything that moves around them. These snakes have really tiny brains, which are not really programmed to think about the consequences of their actions or morality of killing other animals.

Their brains are programmed to help them survive and that's it. However, you can use your brains and especially the well-formed cerebrum, to be smart enough and stay away from these snakes. Identifying poisonous ones and staying away from them, is a safe strategy. Watch them on television and be happy that you do not have to face them.

The points to be considered, while deciding the world's deadliest snake, are the ones which increase the probability of death, when confronting it. So, here are some factors that can help you decide. Size of the Snake ( more the length, longer is the reach ) Amount of Generated Venom ( more the venom, more deadly the snakebite )

Venom Toxicity ( more toxic the venom is, quicker is the death ) Length of Fangs ( longer the fangs, deeper the snakebite ) Aggressive Quotient ( the way they react, when cornered ) Head Count ( the number of reported human deaths, inflicted by the species )

World's Deadliest Snake

Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepsis )

This African species deserves the title of being the deadliest snake ever, due to the sheer aggression and malice with which it attacks.

Black mamba is the second longest venomous snake in the world, after the King Cobra. They have been known to grow to a maximum length of 14 feet. It is also one of the fastest snakes and it is claimed, that it can move at speeds of 19.5 km per hour. If this one's after you, may God be with you.

Australian Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis)

The Australian brown snake also scores high on all the criteria.

1/14,000 of an ounce of lethal venom delivered through its fangs, is enough to kill a person. They are the snakes with the largest head count in Australia. They are known to follow their quarry and keep biting till the job is done.

Saw-scaled Viper (Echis carinatus)

This is one of the most venomous snakes in Asia. Only 5 mg of its venom is enough to kill a full-grown man.

These are the snakes with the largest reported head count in Asia. The Saw-scaled viper's venom is fivefold times toxic than that of a King Cobra's and sixteen fold times more toxic than that of the Russell's viper's, which are both very deadly snakes.

So, these were the three snakes that equally deserve the title of being the deadliest. There are many more, other than these three, whose bite can be equally lethal on any given day.