Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defence, and to assist with the digestion of their prey. Below are the top 10 of the most venomous land snakes found on the earth till date:
- Fierce Snake or Inland Taipan
- Eastern Brown Snake
- Blue Krait
- Taipan
- Black Mamba
- Tiger Snake
- Philippine Cobra
- Saw Scaled Viper and Chain Viper
- Death Adder
- Rattlesnake
Inland Taipan
The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), also commonly known as the western taipan, the small-scaled snake or the fierce snake, is a species of extremely venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to semi-arid regions of central east Australia.
Eastern brown snake
The eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis), often referred to as the common brown snake, is a highly venomous snake of the family Elapidae, native to eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea. It was first described by André Marie Constant Duméril in 1854.
Blue krait
Bungarus candidus, commonly known as the Malayan krait or blue krait, is a highly venomous species of snake. The blue krait is a member of the family Elapidae.
Taipan
Taipans are snakes of the genus Oxyuranus in the elapid family. They are large, fast-moving, highly venomous, and endemic to Australasia.
Black Mamba
The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is a species of large, extremely venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. It is native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
Tiger Snake
Tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus) are a highly venomous snake species found in the southern regions of Australia, including its coastal islands, such as Tasmania. These snakes are highly variable in their colour, often banded like those on a tiger, and forms in their regional occurrences.
Philippine Cobra
The Philippine cobra also called northern Philippine cobra, is a stocky, highly venomous species of spitting cobra native to the northern regions of the Philippines.
Saw Scaled Viper (Echis)
Echis is a genus of venomous vipers found in the dry regions of Africa, the Middle East, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They have a characteristic threat display, rubbing sections of their body together to produce a “sizzling” warning sound. The name Echis is the Latin transliteration of the Greek word for “viper”.
Death Adder
The common death adder is a species of death adder native to Australia. It is one of the most venomous land snakes in Australia and globally. While it remains widespread, it is facing increased threat from the ongoing Australian cane toad invasion.
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small animals such as birds and rodents. Rattlesnakes receive their name from the rattle located at the end of their tails, which makes a loud rattling noise when vibrated that deters predators or serves as a warning to passers-by.
Bonus: Belcher’s sea snake
Belcher’s sea snake is the most venomous snake found in the world. It is 100 times more toxic then Inland Taipan. The Belcher Sea Snake is typically found swimming nearby tropical reefs in the Indian Ocean, New Guinea, Gulf of Thailand, Indonesia and off the coast of the Philippines. They don’t pose such a big threat to humans since they live in remote places.
Don’t panic yet, none of these snakes are found in Nepal. Yet, the most venomous snake found in Nepal is Russell’s viper. But guess what! scientists believe it to be responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined.
Special thanks to young snake conservationist Nishan Paudel for his contribution in the data collection!
