Every year, up to 125,000 people die from snakebites. However, the most venomous snakes are not always the most dangerous, because many of them live in remote places where there are few people. The biggest killers live in densely populated countries where people are very likely to step on them, get bitten, and not receive proper treatment.
Puff adder
This heavily built viper is the most dangerous snake in Africa. It gets its name from the way it puffs up its body and hisses in a threat display before striking with its very long fangs.
Australian taipan
The venom of this Australian snake is so toxic that its bites are deadly if not treated quickly. The closely related inland taipan, also found in Australia, is even more lethal. But both live in such remote regions that bites are rare.
Bushmaster
The South American bushmaster is the biggest of the pit vipers, growing to 10 ft (3 m) or more in length. Its venom can be fatal, but luckily bites are rare.
Gaboon viper
Similar to the puff adder, this central African ambush killer has huge fangs that can be up to 2 in (5 cm) long—longer than those of any other snake.
Fer-de-lance
This highly venomous pit viper is the most deadly snake in South America. Many of its victims are bitten while working in banana plantations
Desert death adder
Long fangs, big venom glands, and a very fast strike make this adder one of the deadliest snakes in Australia. However, since not many people live in its desert habitat, it claims very few victims.
Monocled cobra
Like all cobras, this South Asian snake tries to scare off its enemies with a threat display. But if that fails, it will bite, injecting a deadly venom.
Saw-scaled viper
Its habit of lying near where people live means that this small Asian viper is often stepped on. As a result, it bites and kills thousands of people each year.
Tiger snake
The tiger snakes of southern Australia and Tasmania live in coastal regions and wetlands. Their venom is as deadly as that of a cobra.
Eastern brown snake
Its extremely toxic venom makes this the most dangerous Australian snake, but most of its victims recover if they are treated with antivenom in time.
Snake venom is a nightmare cocktail of poisons that might have been cooked up by a mad scientist. It is basically saliva, laced with powerful digestive juices that break down the tissues of the snake’s prey. In the most venomous snakes, the mixture has been refined into a lethal weapon, used for both hunting and defense.
Types of venom
The toxins in snake venom work in different ways. Some attack the victim’s blood or muscles, while others paralyze its nervous system. Each type of snake has its own toxic recipe.
BOOMSLANG
Equipped with fangs in the rear of its mouth, this African tree snake has a powerful venom that stops its victim’s blood from clotting, so it bleeds to death.
RATTLESNAKE
A rattlesnake is a type of viper, with a hemotoxic venom that causes massive bleeding and destroys flesh. It slows the blood circulation, causing the symptoms of shock.
TAIPAN
The taipan has the most deadly venom of any land snake. It kills very quickly by attacking the nervous system and paralyzing the bite victim’s breathing.
SEA SNAKE
A sea snake needs extremely potent venom to stop its prey from escaping. It is myotoxic, paralyzing the victim’s muscles. Luckily, sea snakes rarely bite.
BLACK MAMBA
Strong enough to kill an elephant, black mamba venom attacks the nervous system and heart muscle with rapid, deadly effect.
INDIAN COBRA
Like most cobras, this one has a neurotoxic venom that spreads through the body and can kill by paralyzing the nerves that control breathing.
Scary fangs Venomous snakes inject their victims
using fangs—special teeth designed to puncture fl esh before channeling venom into the prey.
HOW FANGS WORK
When a rattlesnake is resting, its sharp fangs are folded back. When it gapes its mouth open, the fangs hinge forward, so the snake can use them to stab its victim. The muscles surrounding the venom glands then contract to squirt highly toxic venom through the fangs. The venom targets blood and internal organs, causing intense pain and vomiting.
BOOMSLANG
Most venomous snakes have long, hollow fangs that inject venom. But a “rear-fanged” snake like the boomslang has simpler ones near the back of its mouth that just bite into the victim, allowing toxic saliva to flow into the wounds.
RATTLESNAKE
Found in the United States, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest species of rattlesnake and has a highly venomous bite. When in danger, it shakes a rattle on the end of its tail to scare off predators.
PIT VIPER
Like all pit vipers, the two-striped forest pit viper has heat-detecting pits located in between its eyes and nostrils. It’s responsible for many of the recorded snake bites in the Amazon rainforest.
PUFF ADDER
Found in the rocky grasslands of Africa, this species of viper is usually active at night, when it ambushes unsuspecting prey.
BLACK MAMBA
This relative of the cobras has shorter fangs than a rattlesnake or viper, but they are just as effective. It’s probably the deadliest species on the planet.
VENOM
Scientists “milk” snakes for their venom, which is then injected into a sheep to collect antibodies created by the sheep’s immune system. These are used to create antivenoms to combat the effects of a snakebite. These usually work extremely well, provided the victim gets treated quickly enough.
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