The Three Most Venomous Snakes on Earth
The inland taipan, Dubois' sea snake, and eastern brown snake
The most
venomous snakes are not the ones that cause the most fatalities in
humans. Actually, each causes very few fatalities compared with some
venomous snakes, because they each live in areas not very heavily
populated.
The snake that causes the most deaths in human beings is Russell's viper, which lives throughout India, Southeast Asia, and also Southern China and Taiwan. It is commonly found in heavily populated areas and has very powerful venom.
The venom of Russell's viper is surpassed in strength by that of some other venomous snakes, and in this article I discuss the top three on our planet. The grand champion, the inland taipan, has venom more than 30 times as powerful as that of Russell's viper, and a single bite yields an amount that could kill 100 adult humans.
Before sharing information about each of these reptiles, let's first see how they determine how toxic snake venom is. The toxicity is quantifiable and then different venomous snakes can be compared to one another in this manner.
(Inland taipan photo is from Wikipeida by XLerate, CC BY-SA 3.0.)
The snake that causes the most deaths in human beings is Russell's viper, which lives throughout India, Southeast Asia, and also Southern China and Taiwan. It is commonly found in heavily populated areas and has very powerful venom.
The venom of Russell's viper is surpassed in strength by that of some other venomous snakes, and in this article I discuss the top three on our planet. The grand champion, the inland taipan, has venom more than 30 times as powerful as that of Russell's viper, and a single bite yields an amount that could kill 100 adult humans.
Before sharing information about each of these reptiles, let's first see how they determine how toxic snake venom is. The toxicity is quantifiable and then different venomous snakes can be compared to one another in this manner.
(Inland taipan photo is from Wikipeida by XLerate, CC BY-SA 3.0.)
How toxicity of snake venom is measured
The power of snake venom is inversely proportional to the size of
its victim. An elephant for example will have a much better chance of
surviving a bite than a small rodent.
Because of this fact, the strength of venom is measured according to how much is needed to result in the death of how large of an animal. The venom is measured in milligrams or grams, and the victim is measured in kilograms.
Each venomous snake is given a rating according to their “median lethal dose,” expressed in milligrams or grams of venom per kilogram of victim. Median lethal dose is the amount required to cause death in 50% of victims.
This formula measures the strength of venom, although snakes can still vary in deadliness due to an additional factor, which is how much venom comes out in a single bite. Some snakes such as king cobras, which are the largest venomous snakes, or Gaboon vipers in Africa, produce huge amounts of venom and therefore even with weaker venom than the snakes listed below, are extremely deadly.
It’s been argued that the measurements, which are done using mice, may not apply as accurately as many scientists think to humans due to differences between mice and humans. However, no one is going to test venom out on humans, so the scale that exists based on mice is what is used.
(Gaboon viper photo is from Wikimedia Commons by Brimac the 2nd, CC BY 2.0.)
Because of this fact, the strength of venom is measured according to how much is needed to result in the death of how large of an animal. The venom is measured in milligrams or grams, and the victim is measured in kilograms.
Each venomous snake is given a rating according to their “median lethal dose,” expressed in milligrams or grams of venom per kilogram of victim. Median lethal dose is the amount required to cause death in 50% of victims.
This formula measures the strength of venom, although snakes can still vary in deadliness due to an additional factor, which is how much venom comes out in a single bite. Some snakes such as king cobras, which are the largest venomous snakes, or Gaboon vipers in Africa, produce huge amounts of venom and therefore even with weaker venom than the snakes listed below, are extremely deadly.
It’s been argued that the measurements, which are done using mice, may not apply as accurately as many scientists think to humans due to differences between mice and humans. However, no one is going to test venom out on humans, so the scale that exists based on mice is what is used.
(Gaboon viper photo is from Wikimedia Commons by Brimac the 2nd, CC BY 2.0.)
Inland taipan of Australia
There are multiple ways venom is administered to mice for the median lethal dose scale listed above, and the method I’m using (since numbers using it are the most available) is called subcutaneous injection LD50. The rating on this scale for the inland taipan is 0.025 mg/kg.
The Russell’s viper I mentioned in the introduction has a rating of 0.75 mg/kg, which means 30 times as much is needed as the inland taipan to have the same result. The most venomous rattlesnake species, a snake I'm familiar with here in California, has a rating of 0.6 mg/kg, meaning the inland taipan’s venom is 24 times as powerful.
Inland taipans rarely bite humans, because they live only in remote areas of Australia’s semi-arid interior and they are also quite shy. However, if they are provoked or otherwise feel threatened, they strike very quickly and accurately, and may strike multiple times. Anyone bitten may not live more than 30 to 45 minutes.
Anti-venom exists for another taipan species in Australia, the coastal taipan, which is actually in fourth place of all venomous snakes. This anti-venom helps with those bitten by inland taipans but may not be available nearby for anyone in the remote areas where the inland taipan is found.
They reach six to eight feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) in length and can be a variety of colors – tan, yellowish, greenish, or dark brown, almost black. They change color according to the seasons, being lighter during the summer and darker during the winter. They specialize in hunting and eating small mammals.
(Photo shows inland taipan summer coloration. From Wikipedia by AllenMcC, CC BY-SA 3.0.)
Dubois' sea snake of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans
Although found along the coasts of Australia, this species is also
found through parts of the Indian Ocean, and in seas around Australia
and to the north near New Guinea and east toward New Caledonia. Their
venom rating on the scale discussed above is 0.044 mg/kg, meaning
slightly more than half as powerful as the inland taipan’s venom.
Sea snakes are fully adapted to living in the oceans, and all but a few cannot move on land at all. There are at least 62 species, and all are venomous. They all live in a range similar to Dubois’ sea snake, meaning throughout the Indian Ocean, near Australia and Indonesia, and in the Western Pacific Ocean.
They have paddle-like tails and most can partially breathe through their skin. Most are reluctant to bite humans, although fatalities have sometimes occurred. Four of the top ten most venomous snakes are sea snakes, and Dubois’ sea snake is the most poisonous of all of them.
They typically reach 3 to 4.5 feet (about 1 to 1.5 meters) in length, and coloration and patterns on their scales have a huge amount of variation. Like all but a few sea snake species, they give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. They eat fishes and eels.
(Sea snake photo from Wikipeida by Craig D, CC BY-SA 2.0.)
Sea snakes are fully adapted to living in the oceans, and all but a few cannot move on land at all. There are at least 62 species, and all are venomous. They all live in a range similar to Dubois’ sea snake, meaning throughout the Indian Ocean, near Australia and Indonesia, and in the Western Pacific Ocean.
They have paddle-like tails and most can partially breathe through their skin. Most are reluctant to bite humans, although fatalities have sometimes occurred. Four of the top ten most venomous snakes are sea snakes, and Dubois’ sea snake is the most poisonous of all of them.
They typically reach 3 to 4.5 feet (about 1 to 1.5 meters) in length, and coloration and patterns on their scales have a huge amount of variation. Like all but a few sea snake species, they give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. They eat fishes and eels.
(Sea snake photo from Wikipeida by Craig D, CC BY-SA 2.0.)
Eastern brown snake
Our third place winner is another land snake found in Australia, and
also on the island of New Guinea to the north, and on some other nearby
Indonesian islands. They are found along the east coast of Australia,
and in some of the semi-arid and forested areas in northern and
northeastern parts of the continent.
This snake is versatile in that it can live in a variety of habitats from semi-arid grasslands to savannah woodlands and eucalyptus forests, although is not found in the drier deserts or in wet rainforests. They mostly eat rodents.
Their venom rating according to subcutaneous injection LD50 is 0.053 mg/kg which is slightly less than half as powerful as the venom of the inland taipan. It is approximately double the strength of the next-closest snake, the coastal taipan, which as mentioned above is in fourth place of all snakes.
Although most members of this species are brown, they can be other colors. Some are almost black, and others can be light brown, yellow, orange, grey, or silver. Young juveniles can have red spots on their undersides. They are usually four to six feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) in length, and are often confused with another species of venomous snake called the king brown snake, which lives in some of the same areas.
They live near some populated areas, including near many of Australia’s largest cities. Because of this, bites and fatalities in Australia are higher from this than any other.
Although anti-venom exists, there are specific rules to know about what to do if someone is bitten by a venomous snake in Australia. For treatment information, see the pressure immobilization technique on Wikipedia.
(Eastern brown snake photo from Wikipedia by Peter Woodward, and in the public domain.)
This snake is versatile in that it can live in a variety of habitats from semi-arid grasslands to savannah woodlands and eucalyptus forests, although is not found in the drier deserts or in wet rainforests. They mostly eat rodents.
Their venom rating according to subcutaneous injection LD50 is 0.053 mg/kg which is slightly less than half as powerful as the venom of the inland taipan. It is approximately double the strength of the next-closest snake, the coastal taipan, which as mentioned above is in fourth place of all snakes.
Although most members of this species are brown, they can be other colors. Some are almost black, and others can be light brown, yellow, orange, grey, or silver. Young juveniles can have red spots on their undersides. They are usually four to six feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) in length, and are often confused with another species of venomous snake called the king brown snake, which lives in some of the same areas.
They live near some populated areas, including near many of Australia’s largest cities. Because of this, bites and fatalities in Australia are higher from this than any other.
Although anti-venom exists, there are specific rules to know about what to do if someone is bitten by a venomous snake in Australia. For treatment information, see the pressure immobilization technique on Wikipedia.
(Eastern brown snake photo from Wikipedia by Peter Woodward, and in the public domain.)
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The Three Most Venomous Snakes on Earth
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