There are over 3500 species of snakes. Out of this number, about 600 are venomous, and about 200 produce venoms potent enough to kill a human.
Out of the 200, these are the deadliest snakes in the world. A bite from any of these snakes can lead to death within a few hours if the bite is left untreated.
Some of the deadliest snakes in the world include mambas, Indian cobras, tiger snakes, taipans, kraits, and vipers.
While the inland taipan is considered to have the most potent venom. However, this is a shy snake that rarely comes into contact with humans.
As such, attacks on humans are rare. The saw-scaled viper is among the least venomous snakes but causes the most deaths annually since it inhabits human settlements.
Table of Contents
Deadliest Snakes In The World
1. Black Mamba
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Dendroaspis polylepis
- Adult Length: 6.6 to 9.8 ft (2 to 3 m)
- Lifespan: 11 years
- Geographic Range: Sub-Saharan Africa
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
The species occur across sub-Saharan Africa. It occurs throughout most of East Africa.
According to most experts, the black mamba is one of the most dangerous and venomous snakes in the world. The black mamba may be large but it is also capable of moving at speeds of 4 to 5.4 meters per second (10 to 12 mph or 16 to 20 kph).
Apart from its speed and size, the black mamba is also quite aggressive. These characteristics make it one of the most feared snakes in Africa and the world as a whole. The black mamba’s rate of envenomation is 100%.
This means that the black mamba injects venom with every bite. The venom of the black mamba is the fastest-acting venom of all snakes. Without quick medication attention, the bite of a black mamba is always fatal.
On average, the black mamba delivers about 120 mg of venom per bite. It is capable of delivering 400 mg of venom per bite. It takes only 10 to 15 mg of the black mamba’s venom to kill an adult human. As such without medical attention, the mortality rate of a black mamba bite is 100%.
Because of the deadly nature of the black mamba, antivenom used to treat black mamba bites is common. The administering of the antivenom should be done quickly. Despite antivenom treatment in South Africa, the mortality rate is around 14 percent.
The venom of the black mamba is mostly potent neurotoxins. The venom also contains calciseptine, fasciculins, and cardiotoxins.
The black mamba also has the longest fangs of an elapid.
Luckily, the black mamba doesn’t attack unless provoked.
2. Coastal Taipan/Papuan Taipan
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Oxyuranus scutellatus
- Adult Length: 5 to 6.6 ft (1.5 to 2 m)
- Adult Mass: 6.6 lb (3 kg)
- Geographic Range: Australia
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
The coastal taipan and the Papuan taipan are different subspecies of the same species. The coastal taipan is endemic to the east coast of Australia.
The range starts from northern Western Australia to New South Wales. The Papuan taipan is endemic to southern New Guinea.
The coastal/Papuan taipan is quick to attack and movements close to it usually trigger an attack. This makes the coastal taipan very deadly, unlike the black mamba which does not attack unprovoked. The coastal/Papuan taipan is aggressive.
The venom delivered per bite ranges from 120 mg to 400 mg. Studies conducted by Ernst and Zug et al. show that a venom yield of 400 mg is capable of killing 59 human adults.
The primary toxin in the venom of the coastal/Papuan taipan is taicatoxin which is a potent neurotoxin.
Upon delivery of the venom, symptoms of the bite include kidney damage, destruction of muscle tissue, internal bleeding, paralysis, vomiting, nausea, collapse, and convulsions (usually in children).
In Papua New Guinea, the rate of envenomation is around 84%. This is based on a sample of 166 bite victims. Out of these bite victims, 139 showed evidence of envenomation.
When untreated, the mortality rate of an envenomed bite is almost 100 percent.
3. Barba Amarilla / Fer-De-Lance / Terciopelo
- Family: Viperidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Bothrops asper
- Adult Length: 3.9 to 5.9 ft (1.2 to 1.8 m)
- Adult Mass: 13.2 lb (6 kg)
- Lifespan: 15 to 21 years
- Geographic Range: Central America, Northwestern coast of South America
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
The fer-de-lance may not be as venomous as the other two snakes mentioned above but it is still very deadly as it lives in close proximity to humans.
In fact, a large number of its bites happen indoors. Because of its proximity to humans and its unpredictable and excitable nature, it is considered very dangerous.
In Costa Rica, this snake alone is responsible for 30 percent of hospitalized snake bite cases and 46 percent of all snake bites. In Choco and Antioquia in Colombia, the fer-de-lance is responsible for 50 to 60 percent of all snake bites.
Luckily, the fatality rate of an attack by fer-de-lance is almost 0 percent in Costa Rica and 5% in Choco and Antioquia. This is entirely down to the availability of antivenom.
4. Western Green Mamba
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Dendroaspis viridis
- Adult Length: 4.6 to 7 ft (1.4 to 2.1 m)
- Geographic Range: West Africa
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
Green mambas are highly venomous. This makes them among the deadliest snakes in the world. The western green mamba is arboreal and usually found in trees. It is quick, agile, and alert.
Similar to the black mamba, the venom produced is quick-acting and causes severe neurotoxicity in minutes. The potency of the venom produced by western green mamba is similar to that of more venomous cobra species however, the venom produced by mambas is rapid-acting.
The western green mamba is aggressive with a venom yield of 100 mg per bite. This is more than enough to kill an adult human.
Without medical treatment mortality rates are thought to be very high, higher than 80 percent. The species occurs in West Africa.
5. Eastern Green Mamba
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Dendroaspis angusticeps
- Adult Length: 5 ft 11 in. to 6 ft 7 in (1.8 to 2 m)
- Geographic Range: Eastern East Africa to Eastern South Africa
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
This mamba is also arboreal. It is also quick and agile. The venom it produces is also rapid-acting. As such, the venom causes severe neurotoxicity in mere minutes. As such antivenom needs to be administered quickly if death is to be avoided.
The eastern green mamba is the shyest of all the green mambas and isn’t as easily agitated as the others. Regardless of this, it will strike repeatedly when agitated.
The venom yield of the eastern green mamba is 80 mg per bite. This is more than enough to kill a human adult. Without medical treatment mortality rates are thought to be between 70 to 75 percent.
Eastern green mamba occurs in East Africa.
6. Jameson’s Mamba
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Dendroaspis jamesoni
- Adult Length: 4 ft 11 in. to 7 ft 3 in (1.5 to 2.2 m)
- Geographic Range: Central Africa
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
Jameson’s mamba may not have green in its name but it is a green mamba, just like the western and eastern green mambas.
The Jameson’s mamba is highly venomous and quite aggressive. It is also unpredictable as it can go from being calm to being agitated and dangerous in a flash.
When provoked, Jameson’s mamba will strike multiple times. It doesn’t take much to provoke Jameson’s mamba. Jameson’s mamba and the other green mambas aren’t as aggressive as the black mamba.
Jameson’s mamba is arboreal, quick, alert, and agile. All characteristics it shares with the other green mambas.
Jameson’s mamba injects an average of 80 mg of venom per bite. This is more than enough to kill an adult human. It can even produce 120 mg of venom per bite.
Victims of the envenomation can die within 30 minutes to 2 hours after being bitten if antivenoms aren’t administered. Without medical treatment, the mortality rate is believed to be above 80 percent.
Jameson’s mamba occurs in Central Africa.
7. Boomslang
- Family: Colubridae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Dispholidus typus
- Adult Length: 4.92 ft (1.5 m)
- Geographic Range: sub-Saharan Africa
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
The venom of the boomslang is slow-acting. It can take hours for symptoms to become apparent.
However, the amount of venom administered per bite is enough to kill a man. In fact, the renowned herpetologist, Karl Schmidt died from the bite of a juvenile boomslang.
The slow-acting nature of the venom provided a false sense of reassurance. Because of this, the bite of the boomslang can easily lead to death. It may take several days before the venom kills you.
Boomslang produces 1.6 to 8 mg of venom. The lethal dosage for an adult human is 2 to 3 mg.
The boomslang isn’t aggressive and only bites when handled or attacked.
Boomslang is a green arboreal snake. The upper part of the body is dark green while the underside is lime green.
8. Eastern Tiger Snake
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Notechis scutatus
- Adult Length: 1.2 meters (3 ft 11 in)
- Geographic Range: Southern Australia
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
This snake is also known as the mainland island snake or the mainland tiger snake. This snake is different from the African tiger snake which is mildly venomous and isn’t deadly.
The tiger snake endemic to Australia is highly venomous and untreated bites can lead to death. About 40 to 60 percent of all untreated bites result in death.
The venom of the eastern tiger snake is composed of a potent mix of neurotoxins, mycotoxins, hemolysins, and coagulants. The venom is fast-acting and symptoms of the bite are apparent minutes after the bite. These include difficulty breathing and paralysis.
The tiger snake is long with an average body length of about 3 ft 11 inches. The species have dark bands on a light background. Coloration includes black, orange-brown, yellow, and olive.
9. Inland Taipan
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Oxyuranus microlepidotus
- Adult Length: 5.9 ft (1.8 m)
- Geographic Range: Inland Australia
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
While the bites of the inland taipan are deadly, the species is shy and reclusive.
It isn’t aggressive and rarely strikes. Because of its non-provocative nature, there hasn’t been a recorded fatal incident since the creation of a specific antivenom for the treatment of its bites.
The inland taipan injects about 44 mg of venom per bite. This is more than enough to kill 100 human adults. The snake almost always envenomates. The mortality rate of untreated bites is high – 80%.
Although the inland taipan is shy, it is known as the fierce snake. Regardless of its nature, it is a highly venomous snake.
In fact, it is considered the most toxic snake on earth based on its median lethal dose. The venom produced is probably the most venomous of all reptiles and is the most toxic of any reptile venom when tested on human heart cell culture.
The main reason why this isn’t the deadliest snake is that it rarely ever bites a human.
10. Dubois’ Sea Snake
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Aipysurus duboisii
- Geographic Range: Tropical northern Australia
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
This is the most venomous sea snake on record and the third most venomous snake. However, this snake doesn’t come in contact with humans.
11. Eastern Brown Snake
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Pseudonaja textilis
- Adult Length: 5 ft (1.5 m)
- Geographic Range: Eastern Australia
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
The brown snake is the second most venomous snake, right after the inland taipan.
This snake produces a venom yield of 2 to 6 mg. The brown snake is responsible for more deaths in Australia than any other snake.
The eastern brown snake is quite large. It is brown in color. Its brown color can make it tricky to spot within its native habitat.
12. Common Death Adder
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Acanthophis antarcticus
- Adult Length: 70 to 100 cm
- Geographic Range: Australia
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
The name of this snake alone should inform you of its deadliness. While most snakes will flee when humans approach, the common death adder won’t.
Usually, it will remain stationary. This increases the risk of being stepped on. When stepped on, the common death adder will attack.
The common death adder bites have an untreated mortality rate of 50 to 60 percent.
13. Caspian Cobra
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Naja oxiana
- Conservation Status: Near Threatened
This is the most venomous cobra. The venom it produces is even more toxic than the king cobra and the notorious Philippines cobra.
The toxins of the venom are mainly composed of neurotoxins. The venom also contains cardiotoxins.
14. Philippine Cobra
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Naja philippinensis
- Geographic Range: Philippines
- Conservation Status: Near Threatened
This is another deadly cobra. It has the second most potent venom after the Caspian cobra.
This snake injects 90 to 100 mg of venom per bite. Unlike most other deadly snakes, the venom of the Philippine cobra contains only neurotoxins.
The Philippine cobra also spits venom. It can accurately hit its intended target from 9.8 ft or 3 m away.
15. Many-banded Krait
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Bungarus multicinctus
- Adult Length: 3 ft 6 inches to 5 ft (1 to 1.5 m)
- Geographic Range: Southeastern Asia
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
This is the most venomous krait. When untreated, bites have a mortality rate of 77 to 100 percent. It is therefore important to seek treatment when bitten by the many-banded krait.
16. South American Bushmaster
- Family: Viperidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Lachesis muta
- Adult Length: 6 ft 6 inches to 8 ft (2 to 2.5 m)
- Geographic Range: South America
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
The bushmaster is the longest pit viper in the world. This viper can reach a length of 10 ft or 3 m. this is massive for a viper.
It is also the third longest venomous snake. The black mamba and the king cobra are the only venomous snakes longer than the bushmaster.
The bushmaster is usually active during the night and at dawn. As such, encounters with humans are low. This minimizes incidents of attacks. The bushmaster will attack when cornered.
The Big Four
The big four are four snakes that are responsible for most snake bites in southern Asia, especially India. These snakes bite so many humans because they are common in human settlements. These snakes are probably responsible for most snakebite fatalities mainly because of the large number of people bitten each year.
These snakes are the saw-scaled viper, Russell’s viper, the common krait, and the Indian cobra.
17. Indian Cobra
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Naja naja
- Adult Length: 5 ft10 in. to 7 ft 2 in. (1.8 to 2.2 m)
- Geographic Range: Mostly India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
Indian cobra bites cause an estimated 15,000 deaths each year. There are between 100,000 to 150,000 non-fatal bites each year. This number is astronomical.
The snake venom yield per bite is 169 to 250 mg on average. Without medical attention, the mortality rate of bite victims is about 15 to 20 percent. While the mortality rate is low, the species attack a lot more people than more venomous species such as the black mamba.
The Indian cobra is endemic to most of India. It is also endemic to Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
The snake has a conspicuous black band on the underside of the neck and half rings on both sides of the hood. These patterns can be used to identify the snake. The body is dark brown, black, or even cream. There are yellow or white patterns on the body.
The Indian cobra is fairly large and reaches a body length of 1.8 to 2.2 m (5 ft10 in. to 7 ft 2 in).
18. Common Krait
- Family: Elapidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Bungarus caeruleus
- Adult Length: 2 ft 11 in (0.9 m)
- Geographic Range: India
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
The common krait is the most dangerous of the big four as the venom produced by the species is highly toxic.
The average venom yield per bite is around 8 to 20 mg. However, a dose of 2.5 mg is enough to kill a human adult. In India, the common krait is responsible for 10,000 fatalities annually.
The venom produced contains potent neurotoxins which cause paralysis. Victims are often unable to talk. Victims require treatment before paralysis sets in as they are likely not to respond to antivenom treatment after paralysis occurs.
The mortality rate when no or ineffective medical treatment is administered is 70 to 80 percent.
The common krait is dark black to bluish-black with narrow white cross bars.
The common krait occurs throughout India and Sri Lanka.
19. Russell’s Viper
- Family: Viperidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Daboia russelii
- Adult Length: 4 ft 1 in
- Geographic Range: India
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
Russell’s viper is responsible for most snakebite fatalities in India with an estimated 25,000 fatalities each year.
Symptoms of Russell’s viper bites include blistering, bruising, internal bleeding, and necrosis. The bites are externally painful and are considered to be one of the most excruciating of all snake bites.
Venom yields per bite range from 130 to 250 mg, 150 to 250 mg, or 21 to 268 mg. A dose of 40 to 70 mg is lethal to humans.
The Russell’s viper is stout with a rounded cross-section. The background color of the dorsum is light brown. The dorsum has darker patterns which each has a black ring with thin white borders.
The innermost color of the patterns range from ground brown, and tan, to deep yellow. The species reaches a total body length of about 4 ft 1 in.
The Russell’s viper has a flattened triangular head.
20. Saw-scaled Viper
- Family: Viperidae
- Binomial Nomenclature: Echis carinatus
- Adult Length: 15 and 31 inches (38 to 80 cm)
- Geographic Range: Middle Eastern Asia to India
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
Of all the big four, the saw-scaled viper is the smallest. saw-scaled viper occurs in the Middle East to Central Asia. It occurs throughout India.
Saw-scaled viper bites cause about 5,000 fatalities each year in India. The saw-scaled viper almost always envenomates – over 80 percent of the time. The lethal dose of venom is 5 mg. Saw-scaled viper however delivers about 18 mg of dry venom per bite.
Saw-scaled viper reaches an adult length of 15 to 31 inches (38 to 80 cm). It rarely exceeds a length of 24 inches (60 cm). The saw-scaled viper is stout with a round cross-section. The head is distinct from the neck.
The coloration of the saw-scaled viper is pale brown ground, olive, reddish, grayish, or pale buff. There are several patterns on the dorsum (upper body).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many venomous snakes are there in the world?
There are about 3500 snakes in the world. Out of this number, only 600 are venomous. Out of the 600 venomous snakes, only 200 are capable of killing a human adult.
What is the deadliest snake in the world?
This is up for debate. In terms of the potency of the venoms produced the inland taipan produces the most potent venom. Black mamba bites always lead to fatality when left untreated. And Russell’s viper is responsible for an estimated number of 25,000 fatalities in India alone. The saw-scaled viper’s venom isn’t among the most potent but is widespread and incredibly aggressive and is responsible for most deaths.
Which snake has killed the most humans?
The saw-scaled viper’s venom isn’t among the most potent but is widespread and incredibly aggressive and is responsible for most deaths. According to Britannica, it kills the most people.
Which snake kills fastest?
It is said that the king cobra’s venoms are capable of killing you in under 10 minutes if not treated. This is however undetermined. The black mamba’s venom is capable of causing death in an incredibly short period. You can die from a black mamba bite if the bite isn’t treated within 20 minutes.
Conclusion
There are 3,971 snakes in the world. Out of this number, only 600 are venomous.
Out of the 600 venomous snakes, only 200 are capable of killing a human adult. Here are the deadliest snakes in the world – the black mamba, coastal taipan, Papuan taipan, fer-de-lance, western green mamba, eastern green mamba, Jameson’s mamba, boomslang, eastern tiger snake, inland taipan, Indian cobra, Russell’s viper, common krait, and saw-scaled viper.
A bite from most of the snakes here will lead to imminent death if not treated within minutes to a few hours.