The Most Dangerous Snakes of the World.

The Eastern brown snake is one of the most toxic snakes in the World, and, at 12 times the toxicity of the Indian cobra , it is the second most toxic land snake in Australia. However, due to the greater range, occurrence in urban areas and aggressive temperament, the eastern brown snake is the most dangerous and clinically important snake in Australia. The venom of the Eastern Brown snake is slow to produce effect, but once symptoms emerge they proceed with terrifying rapidity with death being sudden and unexpected. Part of the problem is that the early signs of the bite pathology closely resemble that of the occurrence of psychological shock and thus may be misdiagnosed.



Rattlesnakes are large, have large venom glands, are relatively common, and are more likely to hold their ground and bite. Rattlesnakes are born with fully functioning fangs capable of injecting venom and can regulate the amount of venom they inject when biting. Generally they deliver a full dose of venom to their prey, but may deliver less venom or none at all when biting defensively. A frightened or injured snake may not exercise such control. Additionally, young snakes may have not yet learned to control the amount of venom they deliver. Some studies contest that young snakes may be capable of injecting less venom, and the high toxicity of their bite comes from a variation in their venom which causes it to have a more potent concentration than in their adult counterparts. Any bite from a rattlesnake should be considered fully venomous and those bitten should seek medical attention immediately.


Pit vipers are named after their specialized thermoreceptors: heat-sensitive organs located on either side of the head that look like small pits. These pits contain membranes sensitive to infrared radiation and allows the snakes to locate their prey based on temperature differences with their environment. To a pit viper, rodents and birds that are only fractionally warmer than the background stand out even in complete darkness.It is reported that a temperature difference of a mere 0.003°C from the background can be detected. Like a primitive pair of eyes, these pits even give them depth perception, allowing them to strike accurately under such conditions. However it is not known whether the snake experiences this sense as a visual image or in some other fashion. Since the crotalines, like most other viperids, are nocturnal ambush predators, this adaptation serves them particularly well. In an example of parallel evolution, only the boids have developed similar heat-sensitive organs.



These pit vipers are normally tree-loving snakes with a few species living on the ground. They basically have the same characteristics of the crotalidae-slender build and very dangerous. Their bites usually are on the upper extremities-head, neck, and shoulders. Their venom is largely hemotoxic. 



The fastest land snake in the world is the aggressive black mamba found in the southern part of tropical Africa. You might have heard stories about this snake overtaking people on galloping horses but although these snakes are fast, they aren't that fast. They can reach top speeds of 10-12 mph (16-19 km/hr) in short bursts over level ground. Despite its name, black mambas aren't black. They're gray. The name comes from the color of the inside of its mouth - something it will gladly show you while it threatens you, if provoked. They can grow up to 14 feet (4.3 meters) long, which is another reason why this reptile isn't something to mess with. The snake races along with its head held high and about one-third of its body off the ground. That can be up to four feet (1.2 meters) off the ground - about chin level for some people. The black mamba is the most respected and feared snake in Africa. Without treatment, the death rate from a black mamba bite is almost 100 percent. Although two drops of venom from a black mamba are enough to kill a human (they are one of the most poisonous smakes in the world), mambas don't usually attack humans. They should still be left alone - they are considered one of the most dangerous snakes in the world.



The Bushmaster is the largest Pit Viper in the world with a nasty reputation as a "cruel dude". The Bushmaster is a huge, thick-bodied and highly venomous snake with a triangularly shaped head, one of nature's warning signs that a snake is poisonous and potentially deadly. Bushmasters live in remote, heavily forested tropical jungle terrain. Isolated in their jungle environment, envenomation by a Bushmaster is very serious, sometimes fatal and particularly dangerous to humans. It is important to familiarize yourself with wilderness survival before entering Bushmaster territory because often snake bite victims are miles and miles away from any traditional medical help. The Bushmaster is the largest venomous snake in the New World, often reaching lengths in excess of 6 feet with a maximum recorded length reaching an amazing 14 feet! The Bushmaster has a prominent dorsal ridge and an upturned snout with well defined body scales, keeled and extremely rough. Identifying Bushmaster body color hues range from light brown to shades of pale pink with a series of dark brown or black blotches markings running the entire length of the body including the tail.



A small but extremely dangerous viper. It gets the name saw-scaled from rubbing the sides of its body together, producing a rasping sound. This ill-tempered snake will attack any intruder. Its venom is highly hemotoxic and quite potent. Many deaths are attributed to this species.It can be found in a variety of environments. It is common in rural settlements, cultivated fields, arid regions, barns, and rock walls.
Saw-scaled vipers are very aggressive and quick to strike. They produce highly virulent hematoxic venom. In addition, they are often abundant in heavily populated regions, which makes them some of the most dangerous snakes in the world.

That's not a complete list of dangerous snakes. Remember, Asian Cobra and Russell's Viper probably kill most of the people who die of snake bite annually in the world.