Snakes are one of the most terrifying creatures in the animal world. A single thought of a snake can shiver you on both sides. Even thinking about their slither, hiss and bite we literally get goosebumps from top to bottom. Snakes hunt their prey majorly using two techniques on which they are of two types; Constrictor and Venomous. According to the World Health Organisation snake bite is one of the major causes of human death caused by animals and it is a neglected public health issue. Poisonous snakes bite around 5.4 million people every year and around 81,000 to 1,38,000 people die every year as a result. Here in this article, you are going to meet with some deadliest poisonous snakes around the globe.
| Common Name | Habitat | Length | Geographic Range | Venom Type | Danger to Humans |
| Saw-scaled Viper | Dry, rocky, and sandy regions | Typically 1 to 3 feet | Parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia | Hemotoxin | High – Potentially fatal |
| Inland Taipan | Semi-arid and arid regions, grasslands | Typically 6.6 to 8.2 feet | Central-eastern Australia | Neurotoxin | Extremely High |
| Black Mamba | Savannah, woodlands, dense forests | Typically 8 to 10 feet | Sub-Saharan Africa | Neurotoxic (with cytotoxic) | Extremely High |
| Russell’s Viper | Grasslands, shrublands, forests | Typically 3 to 5 feet | South Asia and Southeast Asia | Hemotoxic (with cytotoxic) | Potentially fatal |
| Common Krait | Agricultural areas, grasslands | 3 to 4 feet | South Asia | Neurotoxic | Highly dangerous |
| Indian Cobra | Agricultural areas, grasslands | 4 to 6 feet | Indian subcontinent | Neurotoxic | Highly dangerous |
| Puff Adder | Savannah, grasslands, scrublands | 2 to 4 feet | Sub-Saharan Africa | Cytotoxic | Highly dangerous |
| Common Death Adder | Woodlands, forests, grasslands | 1 to 3 feet | Australia and nearby islands | Neurotoxic | Highly dangerous |
| King Cobra | Tropical rainforests, dense woodlands | 10 to 13 feet | South and Southeast Asia | Neurotoxic | Extremely High |
| Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake | Arid and semi-arid regions, deserts | 3 to 5 feet | North and Central America | Hemotoxic | High |
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1. Saw-scaled Viper – Echis carinatus
Common Name – Carpet Viper
Habitat – Dry, rocky, and sandy regions
Geographic Range -Found in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia
Length -Typically 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm)
Danger to Humans High – Can deliver a potentially fatal bite
Venom Type – Hemotoxin
The most poisonous snakes do not come without warning, they display a unique kind of threat display with making sizzling sounds while rubbing their bodies. It is also called Echis which is a Latin word derived from a Greek word, literally means viper. Its biological name is Echis carinatus. This species belongs to a genus of viper snake. It is found mainly in desert areas of Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, the Middle East and Africa. This snake species causes the most number of bites and deaths of humans around the world.
2. Inland Taipan – Oxyuranus microlepidotus
Common Name – Small-scaled snake
Geographic Range – Central-eastern Australia
Habitat – Semi-arid and arid regions, typically grasslands, shrublands, and open woodlands
Length – Typically 6.6 to 8.2 feet (2 to 2.5 meters)
Venom Type – Neurotoxin
Danger to Humans – Extremely High – Considered the most venomous snake in the world
Inland taipan is one of the most venomous snakes in the world and belongs to the snake family Elapidae. It is also called western taipan, small-scaled taipan or fierce snake commonly. This snake is native to semiarid areas of central east Australia. It is famous among Indigenous Australian people with the name Dandarabilla. The neurotoxin produced by modified salivary glands is the most lethal poison on the planet which is majorly adapted to kill warm-blooded animals like mice.
3. Black Mamba – Dendroaspis polylepis
Common Name – Black Mamba
Habitat – Savannah, woodlands, dense forests and rocky slopes
Length – Typically 8 to 10 feet (2.5 to 3 meters), but can grow up to 14 feet (4.3 meters)
Geographic Range – Sub-Saharan Africa, including countries like South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and others
Venom Type – Neurotoxic (with some cytotoxic components)
Danger to Humans – Extremely High – One of the deadliest snakes in the world due to potent venom and aggressive behaviour
The black Mamba is a highly venomous snake species which is native to regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Black Mamba belongs to the genus Dendroaspis of the snake family Elapidae. It is the second-longest poisonous snake after the King Cobra. It is aggressive, quick and famous for its speedy attacks. The colour of its varies from grey to shades of brown. They can live in multiple habitats like savannah, woodlands, dense forests and rocky slopes. They are both arboreal meaning tree-living and terrestrial meaning ground-living snakes.
4. Russel’s Viper – Daboia russelii
Common Name – Scissors Snake or Chain Viper
Habitat – Grasslands, shrublands, agricultural areas, and forests in South Asia and Southeast Asia
Length – Typically 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters), but can grow up to 6 feet (1.8 meters)
Geographic Range – Found in South Asia (including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan) and Southeast Asia (including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and parts of China)
Venom Type – Hemotoxic, with some cytotoxic effects
Danger to Humans – Potentially fatal venom
Russell’s Viper belongs to the snake family Viperidae. It is among the Big Four snakes in India. It was named Russell’s Viper after the famous Scottish surgeon and naturalist Patcik Russell. He wrote ‘An account of Indian serpents, collected on the coast of Coromandel’ in 1796. HE described Russel’s viper in detail in his work. It is native to the countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. It is responsible for around 43 per cent of snakebites in India.
5. Common Krait – Bungarus caeruleus
Common Name – Bengal krait
Habitat – Agricultural areas, grasslands, scrublands, and often found near human habitation in South Asia
Length – 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 meters)
Geographic Range – South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka
Venom Type – Neurotoxic, with neurotoxins that affect the nervous system
Danger to Humans – venom is potentially lethal, making it one of the deadliest snakes
Listed among the Big Four, the Common Krait is also known as the Bengal Krait. It belongs to the family Elapidae. This species is native to the Indian subcontinent and mainly distributed in entire North and South India, from Sindh to West Bengal and Sri Lanka. It is a nocturnal animal which remains sluggish in daylight. It causes the highest number of snakebites in India. They produce neurotoxin which paralyses muscles. They mainly eat other snakes, including cannibalise other kraits. They also eat rats, mice, frogs and lizards.
6. Indian Cobra – Naja naja
Common Name – Spectacled cobra
Habitat – Indian Cobras inhabit a variety of habitats including agricultural areas, grasslands, scrublands, forests, and even urban areas throughout the Indian subcontinent.
Length – 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters)
Geographic Range – Indian Cobras are found primarily in the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and parts of Nepal and Bhutan.
Venom Type – neurotoxic venom
Danger to Humans – highly dangerous
The Indian Cobra or Naja naja is a real cobra. It is also known as spectacled cobra, binucleate cobra or Asian cobra. It is one of the Big Four that causes the most number of snakebites in India. It belongs to the Elapidae family. It looks like a king cobra but has many distinctive features. Many snake charmers keep them and perform with them. It is connected with the many stories of Hindu mythology. Indian Wildlife Protection Act lists this species of snake as a protected species.
7. Puff Adder – Bitis arietans
Common Name – Common puff adder
Habitat – savannah, grasslands, scrublands, rocky areas, and sometimes forested regions in sub-Saharan Africa.
Length – 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 cm)
Geographic Range – sub-Saharan Africa, including countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
Venom Type – cytotoxic venom
Danger to Humans – highly dangerous
Puff Adder is a species of Viper and it is The main cause of the highest number of deaths due to snakebite in Africa. They do not attack humans without a clear warning. They Inflate their bodies and hiss loudly to warn people to stay away. They are mainly found in grassland and Savannah of Morocco, western Arabia and throughout Africa leaving Sahara and rainforest areas. Their venom is highly cytotoxic which destroys cells. Symptoms of their bite include edema, nausea, vomiting, blood blisters, painful swelling, dizziness and unconsciousness.
8. Common Death Adder – Acanthophis antarcticus
Common Name – death adders
Habitat – woodlands, forests, grasslands, and heathlands, across Australia and nearby islands.
Length – 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm)
Geographic Range – Australia, Tasmania and nearby islands.
Venom Type – potent neurotoxic venom
Danger to Humans – highly dangerous
The Common Death Adder is one of the most venomous snakes. Its botanical name is Acanthophis antarcticus. It is one of the most poisonous snakes in Australia. It is not a very aggressive snake and uses camouflage to hide and hunt using ambush. They hide in the grass using camouflage. Its population is decreasing due to invasive cane toads. These toads eat their young death adders decreasing their population significantly. Also when adult death adder eat these toads they die too because of the poison present on the skin of toads.
9. King cobra – Ophiophagus hannah
Common Name – Hamadryad
Habitat – Tropical rainforests, dense woodlands, and sometimes near bodies of water in South and Southeast Asia
Length – 10 to 13 feet (3 to 4 meters), can grow up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) and more
Geographic Range – Found in South and Southeast Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines
Venom Type – Neurotoxic, with a potent venom that affects the nervous system
Danger to Humans – Extremely High – not as aggressive as other venomous snakes
King Cobra is among the top ten most poisonous snakes in this world. It is an endemic species of Asia. It is the only member of the Ophiophagus genus. It is not a true cobra however it looks similar to one. Its average length is 3.1824 metres and it can grow up to 6 metres. It is among the world’s longest venomous snakes. It is distributed in areas of the Indian subcontinent south Eastern Asia and Southern China. It displaces threats using techniques like spreading neck-flap, making eye contact, hissing, charging and raising the head upright.
10. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake – Crotalus adamanteus
Common Name – species of pit viper
Habitat – Arid and semi-arid regions, including deserts, grasslands, scrublands, and rocky hillsides in North and Central America
Length – 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters)
Geographic Range – Found primarily in North America, including the southwestern United States (such as Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) and northern Mexico
Venom Type – Hemotoxic, with venom that affects blood coagulation and tissue damage
Danger to Humans – High
The eastern diamond bag battle snake is the deadliest in the entire North America. It belongs to the Viperidae family and it is a pit viper species. It is majorly found in the SouthEastern United States. It is a comparatively large and fat snake weighing up to 15.4 kilograms. It displays thread using its fangs which are one inch long. Rattlesnakes have rings on the end of their tails and to display threat hold their tails vertically upward and begin to rattle it. Its venom is hemotoxic which kills red blood cells and damages body tissues. That’s why the mortality rate due to its bite is 20%.