Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
Snakes inhabit almost all of our planet, with the exception of Ireland, New Zealand and Antarctica. Most often they can be found in the forest or desert, however, there have been cases when snakes have been seen in the immediate vicinity of human dwellings. Fortunately, of the myriad of existing snake species, only about 8 percent are venomous. In addition, they rarely attack people, only in cases where it seems to them that he poses an immediate threat.
Our selection contains ten of the most venomous snakes in the world, whose venom can kill a healthy adult in a very short time, if you do not apply an antidote. It is worth knowing these creatures and being extremely careful when traveling around the area where they are found.
Rating of the most venomous snakes in the world
| Nomination | a place | name | rating |
| 10 most venomous snakes in the world | 10 | Brown mesh snake | 4.1 |
| 9 | Chained viper | 4.2 | |
| 8 | Tiger snake | 4.3 | |
| 7 | Bicolor bonito | 4.4 | |
| 6 | Rattlesnake | 4.5 | |
| 5 | Nasal anhydrin | 4.6 | |
| 4 | King Cobra | 4.7 | |
| 3 | Ribbon krait | 4.8 | |
| 2 | Black Mamba | 4.9 | |
| 1 | Taipan | 5.0 |
Brown mesh snake
Rating: 4.1
This snake got its name because of the large shields covering its body, each of which has a thin dark border around the edges, which creates the effect of a mesh pattern on the skin. The length of the mesh snake can be from 1.1 meters to 2.4 meters. This species of snakes lives on the Australian continent, mainly in its eastern part, as well as in some regions of New Givnea. They perfectly tolerate heat and drought, and are able to adapt to any climate change.
A brown mesh snake is a great danger to humans. She hunts in the daytime, and often crawls right into residential buildings, hiding there in the shade. Its food is based on mice and rats, and most of them live next to people. The mesh snake is very aggressive and does not warn of an attack, seeing the danger, it immediately folds into the shape of an eight for the fastest and most distant throw. The venom of this snake species is a mixture of anticoagulants and neurotoxins. The bitten victim usually loses consciousness after a few minutes, and if no help is provided, dies from extensive bleeding and failure of internal organs. According to statistics, 80% of poisonous snake bites in Australia are committed by a netted snake.
Chained viper
Rating: 4.2
The chained viper, or, as it is also called, Russell's viper, is found in South and Southeast Asia, mostly on the mainland, less often on the islands. In length, it grows to an average of 120, sometimes up to 160 centimeters. Its scales are covered with a pattern of oval-rhombic brownish spots, which sometimes merge with each other, resembling a chain. An interesting feature of the chain snake is its large nostrils, which, taking into account the volumetric lungs, allows it to make a loud sound, similar to the hiss of a punctured ball. Thanks to such a frightening “alarm”, many people managed to see the viper in advance and thus avoid mortal danger.
The chained viper lives in arid areas, hiding between thickets of bushes, in rocks and holes. She hunts only at twilight and at night, while during the day this snake can only be stumbled upon not far from her shelter. Russell's viper's diet includes small rodents, lizards, frogs and some bird species.
With the bite of a chain viper, a potent poison, once it enters the body, sharply lowers blood pressure, and after only 15-20 minutes, the victim's heart may fail.
Tiger snake
Rating: 4.3
The tiger snake was so named for its color: its skin is covered with spots, usually olive red or brown. Habitat is the southern coast of the Australian continent, as well as Tasmania and New Guinea. Adults are two to almost three meters long. The tiger snake hunts most often at night, in desert and meadow areas. Any food that she can swallow can serve as food: from eggs and chicks to lizards, gulls and rodents.
This species is distinguished by great caution, they try to avoid a person in every possible way and prefer to stay away from his home. Attacks occur mainly only if the snake is accidentally stepped on without noticing it in the grass.
The tiger snake is extremely poisonous – its glands contain a supply of poison that can kill several hundred people. When ingested, it affects the nervous system, eventually leading to suffocation or heart paralysis. A small animal, having received a bite, can die in just a few seconds.
Bicolor bonito
Rating: 4.4
The bicolor bonito is an exclusively sea snake that never crawls ashore and is generally found on the high seas. Its habitat extends from the Pacific coast of East Africa to the western shores of the American continent. Also bonito was repeatedly seen in the zone of Russian territorial waters. The snake stands out for its contrasting black and yellow color of the skin; it usually does not exceed one meter in length.
Two-colored bonito float perfectly, they are very maneuverable, they can move both forward and backward. They often drift in groups, moving along with the seasonal currents over fairly long distances. These snakes hunt small fish and octopuses. Meetings of bonito with people occur, as a rule, on a ship, when fishing with nets. The venom of these snakes is extremely toxic and can easily kill a person, but given their sluggishness on a hard surface, such as the deck of a ship, the likelihood of a bite is not very high.
Rattlesnake
Rating: 4.5
The rattlesnake has this name due to the presence of a kind of rattle at the end of its tail, which consists of keratinized scaly plates that emit special sounds. This rattle-rattle serves to scare away enemies, signaling that the snake is ready to attack instantly in case of threat. In general, rattlesnakes are quite cautious and not aggressive if not provoked.
Most of the representatives of this species live in North America, and they can still be found occasionally in Southeast Asia and the Far East of Russia. They feed mostly on warm-blooded animals: rodents, birds and even rabbits, sometimes they eat fish and frogs. Rattlesnakes are skilled hunters due to their high sensitivity to atmospheric fluctuations and infrared radiation emitted by the body of potential prey. But their vision and hearing are relatively poorly developed.
An attack on a person usually occurs through negligence, when he gets too close to the snake. Danger lurks under the trunks of fallen trees, in holes, under a dense layer of fallen leaves. The venom of the rattlesnake causes extensive bleeding, suffocation, paralysis of the motor organs, and later – to respiratory arrest. Fortunately, there is now an effective antidote to avoid death.
Nasal anhydrin
Rating: 4.6
Nasal anhydrina is a marine snake species found along the coasts of South and Southeast Asia. The most common species near the coastal islands of India. The length of the snake's body is about a meter, the muzzle has a special slightly elongated shape, for which the anhydrin actually got its name.
Long-nosed anhydrina hunts at any time of the day, it swims quickly and can dive to a depth of hundreds of meters, so it is not difficult for it to catch up with its prey. It can stay under water for up to five hours. The source of food for these snakes is fish.
Engydrins are considered very aggressive snakes, ready to attack at the slightest sign of threat. Just one and a half milligrams of their poison, rich in neurotoxins and myotoxins, will be enough to cause death.
King Cobra
Rating: 4.7
The king cobra is one of the most famous snakes in the world, it is widespread in Southeast Asia, most often found in India, China and Thailand. It is distinguished by its large size (can reach over five meters in length) and a characteristic “hood”, thanks to which the cobra cannot be confused with any other snake. Also, the king cobra is able to raise a third of its body vertically above the ground, which serves primarily to demonstrate the dominant status when meeting with smaller individuals of the species.
The king cobra is scientifically named Ophiophagus hannah, which translates to “snake eater”. And it does prey on other snakes, including small cobras. In addition, her diet may include small mammals and various lizards such as monitor lizards.
The king cobra is not aggressive and rarely attacks humans. In addition, when bitten, she does not always inject poison, saving it for hunting. But if the poison still enters the bloodstream, severe pain, paralysis and cardiovascular failure occur. In the absence of urgent medical attention, the victim falls into a coma.
Ribbon krait
Rating: 4.8
This type of snake lives in the northeastern region of India, on the Indo-Chinese peninsula and adjacent territories, as well as on the islands of Java and Sumatra. It has a bright color with wide yellow and black stripes. The body is about two meters long, although some large individuals grow up to two and a half meters.
Ribbon kraits hunt small mammals and amphibians at night, while during the day they rest under the roots of trees, in burrows and other shelters from the sun. Sometimes they even crawl into people's houses, posing a considerable danger to the latter, due to their irritability and strong poison. When attacked, Ribbon Krait inflicts multiple bites in a row, injecting lethal doses of toxin.
Black Mamba
Rating: 4.9
The black mamba got its name not for the color of the skin (which can be of different shades), but for the color of the black mouth, which it usually displays to intimidate enemies. This South African snake is the hero of many terrible legends spread among the local population. We have to admit that she is really very aggressive and fast, capable of moving over short distances at speeds up to 20 kilometers per hour.
The mamba hunts for rodents, lizards, birds, other snakes and similar animals, and it does this mainly in the daytime. The snake attacks from an ambush and makes several bites, after which it patiently waits until the victim dies. And you don't have to wait long, given that the poison of the black mamba, which is based on dendrotoxins, can kill a three-ton elephant in about a day. When a person is bitten by this snake, it is necessary to introduce an antidote as soon as possible, no later than 20 minutes after the attack.
Taipan
Rating: 5.0
Taipan lives mainly in Australia, sometimes it can still be found on the island of New Guinea. Its length is from two to three meters. It leads a diurnal lifestyle, hunting frogs and small mammals. Among other things, rats and mice are included in his diet, which is why taipans can sometimes be found in the immediate vicinity of human settlements.
Taipan is not particularly aggressive and usually attacks only when provoked, for example, by stepping in tall grass. Having made a swift throw at the victim, he bites several times in a row, injecting a dose of poison that can kill a hundred adults. Its poison, containing nerve-paralytic toxins, is so strong and fast-acting that even with the presence of an antidote and timely assistance, the victims can be saved in about half of the cases.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
