Snakes are one of the most amazing animals that evolved from lizards and have been living on Earth for over 165 million years. Reptiles inhabit almost all continents, live on land and in the aquatic environment. Today, more than 3,600 species are registered, of which about 25% are poisonous. For most people, only the appearance of these reptiles causes violent emotions.

And if some admire the mystery and stunning elegance that manifests in every snake movement, then only the name introduces others into panic horror. But the fear of reptiles, unlike other phobias, has very significant justifications, since a meeting with a poisonous snake can lead to serious consequences. Every year, more than 2 million people suffer from snakebites, of which about 10% die, and another 10% lose their bitten limbs and remain disabled.

Perfect Assassins

The main weapon of poisonous snakes is large and sharp venom-conducting teeth bent back, having a special groove or internal channel through which the poison enters the wound. The composition of the snake venom of different types of reptiles is not the same, but in any case it negatively affects the human body, causing severe allergic reactions and intoxication, affecting tissues and internal organs.

In addition, these reptiles are perfectly camouflaged, move silently, swim well and easily penetrate hard-to-reach places, which makes them ideal killing machines. Although, for the sake of justice, it is worth noting that reptiles primarily use poison for hunting, and not for self-defense. Aggressiveness in relation to a person, as a rule, is shown only in response to provocations and in the protection of offspring. What are the most venomous snakes to avoid?

Poisonous reptiles of Russia

In Russia, the most common is the common viper. She lives in wild forests and steppes, in swamps and near rivers, including in the northern regions of the country, as she likes lower temperatures than her relatives. It is a relatively small reptile whose flat triangular head resembles an arrowhead. An evil and frightening appearance of the reptile is given by unusual vertical pupils with supraorbital shields hanging over them. Coloring can be the most diverse from grayish to jet black. A clearly defined zigzag pattern stands out along the back against the main background.

When meeting people, the viper usually freezes or begins to quickly crawl away, never attacking first. Aggression shows only when it is attacked, trying to grab or start to pursue. Its bite is potentially dangerous, but rarely leads to death. Just to produce poison, the viper spends a lot of energy and strength, so it injects it into its prey or enemy very economically. As a result, human mortality is no more than 1%, and in 70% of cases, the symptoms of a bite disappear after a couple of days, although it’s definitely not worth the risk once again.

The list of the most poisonous snakes found on the territory of the Russian Federation also includes rattlesnakes.

Representatives of this species, unlike vipers, have a special sense organ - a thermolocator, thanks to which they determine even slight fluctuations in air temperatures. This "device" allows you to successfully hunt warm-blooded animals, including at night. When danger arises, rattlesnakes take a threatening position and begin to dynamically shake the tip of the tail with a rattle, which is the old skin that remains after molting. Dried horn cases, when vibrated, emit a characteristic crackling sound. By the way, rattlesnake venom is used in medicine for the preparation of a number of drugs and vaccines.

Poisonous and dangerous land snakes

By toxicity, the 2nd place is occupied by the eastern (reticulated) brown snake, which lives in eastern Australia, as well as in Indonesia. Color, despite the name, can be the most diverse from light yellow to gray and black. The reptile inhabits not only eucalyptus forests and wild steppes, but is also found in farmlands, which is associated with a considerable number of deaths. When meeting with a human, the individual does not run away, but aggressively raises its head, bends in an S-shape and immediately attacks. The victim can lose the creation in just a couple of minutes. If first aid is not provided in a timely manner and antivenin is not administered to stop the effects of intoxication, even a lethal outcome is not ruled out.

Taipan McCoy or, as they are also called, a cruel snake is a representative of the aspid family. This large reptile up to 2-2.5 m long lives mainly in the deserts of central Australia. The body color can vary from light yellow to dark brown, and the color depends on the season of the year.

Taipan's bite is the most dangerous among the poisonous snakes that live on the Earth's land. The venom has a neurotoxic effect on the body, so there is usually no redness or swelling at the site of the bite, but neurotoxins quickly affect the nervous system, stopping neuromuscular transmission. Death occurs in 8 hours or less from paralysis of the respiratory center. A dose of 44 mg is enough to kill 250 thousand rodents and kill a hundred people, and a semi-lethal dose (0.01 mg / kg) is almost 200 times stronger than the poison of other members of the family, for example, cobras. Fortunately, in the mid-1950s of the last century, an antidote was developed for snake venom. Prior to this, the chances of surviving a bite were less than 10%.

Cases of attacks by inland taipan are primarily associated with the careless behavior of people. Their main diet is made up of small animals, and reptiles try not to meet with humans, unlike large, fast, very aggressive and also poisonous coastal taipans. These reptiles also live in Australia and are diurnal, hunting rodents near human settlements. When meeting with a person, such a taipan does not run away, but, on the contrary, rises and shakes its head, and then attacks with lightning speed and beats the enemy several times in a row.

Despite the invention of an antidote, even today, every 2nd bitten person dies from the poison of this species of taipan, especially in their mass habitats.

Poisonous snakes of the water area

The most poisonous snakes on our planet live not only on the surface, but also in the coastal waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Marine creepers have a length of 1.2 to 2.75 m, and the body ends with a strongly flattened tail from the sides. Marine reptiles from an anatomical point of view are very different from terrestrial relatives. Despite the absence of gills, reptiles do not suffocate underwater. The large right lung acts as a hydrostatic organ, and the nostrils have shut-off valves. Moreover, reptiles can even breathe underwater, assimilating dissolved oxygen through the oral mucosa.

Marine species have the strongest highly toxic poisons. This is due to the fact that their diet consists mainly of cold-blooded aquatic animals, which, in comparison with warm-blooded animals, are more resistant to the action of toxic substances. But marine individuals use their powerful weapons mainly for hunting, and if you do not provoke a predator, then it is unlikely to bite. Otherwise, a lightning attack will follow. A bite can cause severe consequences, and in some cases death. The Dubois sea snake is considered the most venomous.

The largest snake

The king cobra is the largest venomous snake, whose body length can reach 5 meters or more. Back in 1937, an individual 5 m 71 cm long was caught, which was later kept for a long time in the London Zoo.

Cobras grow all their lives, which is 30 years or more. They mostly live in the tropics of Asia. Before pouncing on the enemy, these snakes raise their heads vertically to a third of the front of the body, expand the cervical ribs, forming a kind of hood, loudly emit characteristic barking sounds with the help of respiratory movements, make a warning throw and a “blank bite”, trying to scare away.

Usually cobras are very patient and can control the consumption of poison, trying not to waste it. At the same time, 7 ml of poison is enough for an adult to die within 15 minutes. When meeting with a cobra, you need to sit down at the level of its head and freeze so that it does not see the danger and calmly crawls away.

The most dangerous representative of the true cobra genus is the Philippine cobra, since its poison is very toxic, and the lethal dose is only 0.2 ml / kg. In addition, Philippine cobras are capable of shooting poison into the eyes of their opponent from a distance of 3 meters.

Where do most snakes live on the planet

The inhabitants of Africa share their continent with four hundred species of snakes, including some of the most venomous in the world. For comparison, in Australia there are 2 times more reptiles. At the same time, the highest death rate from snake bites is registered in India, where more than 50 thousand people die per year.

2.07.2014 at 16:36 · Johnny · 266 690

Top 10 most venomous snakes in the world

Many people are sympathetic to snakes and even, quite often, keep them as pets. Meanwhile, snakes are one of the most feared and dangerous living creatures on the planet, and this is not surprising. Many species of these reptiles get their food by biting their prey and injecting poison, which is produced by special glands. This is the main danger of snakes. A bite from any of the reptiles can lead to death. However, snakes very rarely attack humans first, more often this happens if they are provoked or disturbed.

10 Rattlesnake

The only snake in our ranking, whose birthplace is North America. It can be easily recognized by the thickening in the tail, which resembles a rattle. This snake is capable of striking at a distance of 2/3 of its body length. The species from the eastern part of the continent is considered more dangerous. Individuals that have not reached puberty are more dangerous than adults due to their inability to regulate the amount of toxin injected. Most rattlesnake species have a hemotoxic venom that damages tissues, destroys organs, and causes blood to clot (coagulopathy). In some cases, after a snake bite, scars remain on the body, even with timely treatment.

General symptoms: shortness of breath, profuse salivation, extensive hemorrhages, paralysis. Untreated bites from rattlesnakes, especially from larger species, almost always leave serious injuries and can result in death. Timely medical care reduces the likelihood of death by up to 4%

9. Australian Thorntail

The habitat of the spiketail, Australia and New Guinea. These reptiles prey on their relatives, other snakes, attacking them, as a rule, from an ambush. The Australian spiketail has an outward resemblance to a rattlesnake: the same triangular head shape and a short, squat body. When bitten, the snake often injects 40 to 100 mg of venom. Since, according to its properties, the poison of the spinetail belongs to neurotoxins, it is considered the most dangerous, because it causes paralysis of the respiratory organs, as a result of which death can occur within 6 hours.

The antidote used for the bite of a spiketail works quite effectively, reducing the general symptoms and alleviating the condition of the victim. Before the invention of antivenom, the mortality rate from its bite was 50%.

Interesting fact: the speed of the snake throw during the attack is 0.13 seconds.

8. Viper

The viper is found in many parts of the planet, but perhaps the most poisonous species is the sand viper, which lives mainly in the Middle East and Central Asia, in particular: India and China. These snakes hunt at night and become especially active after rain.

Symptoms of viper venom getting into the blood: swelling of the affected area, pain in the bite area, bleeding often occurs, a decrease in blood pressure and a slow heartbeat, in severe cases, blisters may appear and extensive necrosis of tissues and muscles may develop. Nausea, vomiting and swelling of the face occur in approximately 30% of cases. Aching pain, not only in the affected area, can last from 2 to 4 weeks. Within 1 to 14 days, death can occur from sepsis, heart or respiratory failure.

7 Philippine Cobra

The Philippine cobra is one of the most deadly varieties of cobras. It is noteworthy that this reptile is able to “spit” poison at a distance of up to 3 m. Just like the Australian spiketail, the cobra has a neurotoxic poison that causes paralysis of the respiratory and cardiac systems, resulting in death within 30 minutes from the moment of the bite. Damage to the skin during a bite is minimal.

Common symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal pain, convulsions, diarrhea.

6. Tiger Snake

Habitat Australia. Tiger snake venom is also a neurotoxin. After it enters the bloodstream, it causes localized pain at the site of the bite, tingling, numbness, sweating, and after a while, suffocation and death occur. Most often, this snake, when meeting with a person, tries to hide as quickly as possible, but can become dangerous and attack if it is taken by surprise or cornered. The tiger snake attacks with lightning speed and without a miss.

5. Black Mamba

The black mamba is found in many parts of the African continent. These reptiles are known to be very aggressive and strike with incredible accuracy. An interesting fact, the black mamba is the fastest snake in the world. It is capable of speeds up to 20 km/h. The venom of these snakes is a fast-acting neurotoxin. The black mamba can bite up to 12 times in a row, and one bite is enough to kill 10 to 25 adults.

Symptoms of a black mamba bite: sharp pain at the site of the bite, less noticeable than from a snake bite with hemotoxic (rattlesnake) venom. Then, the victim experiences tingling in the mouth and limbs, double vision, confusion, trembling, possible foaming from the mouth and nose, and severe convulsions. In the absence of medical attention, the symptoms progress rapidly: pallor, severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, respiratory arrest, coma and death soon occur. In the absence of antivenom, the mortality rate from black mamba venom, nearly 100%, is one of the highest. Depending on the nature of the bite, death can occur in as little as 15-30 minutes.

4. Taipan

Taipan lives in Australia. This snake can be compared to the black mamba in morphology and behavior. When released into the blood, the poison contributes to the appearance of blood clots, thereby blocking the arteries and veins. It is so powerful that it can kill up to 12,000 guinea pigs. In addition, the poison also has the properties of a neurotoxin. Until the advent of the antidote, there were no known survivors of a taipan bite. Even with proper medical care and timely administration of antivenom, the victim is provided with a stay in the intensive care unit.

3. Malay blue krait

The Malay or Blue Krait is by far the deadliest of the snakes of this species. Found throughout Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Half of the cases of bites by the Malayan krait are fatal, even with timely medical assistance and an antidote administered. This snake hunts and kills other snakes, including those of the krait family. They become more aggressive at night, as they are nocturnal. However, in most cases, when meeting a person, they try to hide. The snake's venom is 16 times stronger than that of a cobra. When bitten, convulsions appear, and paralysis develops quite quickly. Before the advent of antivenom, 85% of blue krait bites were fatal. Death can occur within 6 to 12 hours.

2. Brown King or Mulga

The habitat of this reptile, like many other poisonous snakes, is Australia. The eastern variety of the Brown King is considered the most dangerous. 1/1400 ounce of this snake's venom is enough to kill a human. Poison, even immature individuals can kill a person. This snake has a difficult character, and it can become aggressive very quickly. There are cases when the Brown snake pursued the aggressors for a long time, repeatedly biting them. Despite the deadly danger, in half of the cases of attacks, the Brown snake does not inject poison into the victim's body and generally tries not to bite if possible. Since this snake reacts to movement, it is better to freeze and stand still when meeting with them.

1. Taipan or Ferocious snake

Taipan is the most venomous snake on our planet. Its venom is the most toxic of all land-dwelling snakes. The poison released by this snake is enough to kill 100 people or 250,000 mice. The toxicity of its venom is 10 times higher than that of a rattlesnake and 50 times greater than that of a cobra. Fortunately, the taipan is not aggressive, and besides, it is quite rare to meet a person in the wild. No deaths have yet been reported from encounters with this snake, but potentially death in an adult from a taipan bite could occur within 45 minutes.

+ Belcher's sea serpent

Found in the waters of Southeast Asia and Northern Australia, the Belcher's sea snake is the most venomous sea snake in the world. It has such a strong poison that just a few milligrams is enough to take the lives of 1000 adults. This is a very dangerous snake, but despite this, less than a quarter of its bites contain poison, moreover, it is quite peaceful. Most often, fishermen who, while catching fish, have to get nets out of the water, suffer from her bite.

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There are many different types of snakes in the world. Some of them pose a danger to human life. Snake venom enters the human body through touch or bite, but sometimes you can get poisoned by eating snake meat.

It will not be possible to tell about all poisonous snakes at the same time, we will focus on the most famous of them. So I present to you the top ten most venomous snakes in the world.

Top 10 most venomous snakes in the world

The Belcher sea snake is the most venomous snake in the world. The snake got its name from the explorer Edward Belcher and is also sometimes referred to as the striped sea snake. The snake rarely attacks a person, it takes a lot of effort to provoke it to bite, so cases of a Belcher sea snake bite are extremely rare. You can meet her in the waters off Southeast Asia and Northern Australia.

The most common victims of bites were sailors who caught the snake with nets along with fish. However, only a quarter of sailors bitten are known to die, as the snake rarely injects its venom completely. One milligram of Belcher's snake venom can kill 1000 people - it is the most toxic snake venom in the world.

The inland taipan or fierce snake today ranks second in our ranking of the most venomous snakes in the world. Taipan lives in Australia and is distinguished by its ability to change color depending on the season. It can be difficult to see the snake, as it prefers soil faults and cracks.

Taipan is the most venomous land snake in the world. The maximum recorded release of the poison is 110 milligrams, which is enough to kill 100 people or, for example, 250,000 mice. This snake is fifty times more venomous than a cobra. Fortunately, the inland taipan is not too aggressive and is extremely rare. There have been no recorded human deaths from a taipan bite, although it can kill an adult human in 45 minutes.

In third place is the eastern brown snake, which lives in Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea. The venom of this snake can cause bleeding, muscle paralysis, kidney failure, and cardiac arrest. There are cases when a person died instantly after a snake bite.

Unfortunately, the eastern brown snake prefers to live near human settlements, so bites are common. The snake is fast moving and can be aggressive, chasing its prey and attacking repeatedly. The venom contains neurotoxins and blood coagulants. The eastern brown snake reacts to movement, so when encountering it, you should remain calm and, if possible, do not move.

The Malayan Blue Krait is definitely worthy of our rating. It lives in Southeast Asia and Indonesia. The color of the snake resembles a zebra or a traffic cop's rod - a dark background with bright white stripes. More than half of blue krait bites are fatal despite antidote. Krayt belongs to nocturnal predators, and therefore it is more active at night.

The venom of the Malayan blue krait is a neurotoxin 16 times more potent than that of the cobra. When ingested, it causes convulsions and paralysis, which lead to death. Before receiving antivenom, the mortality rate from bites was 85%, however, the antidote does not guarantee survival. death usually occurs 6-12 hours after being bitten by a krait.

The most dangerous black mamba lives in many parts of the African continent. As you know, the snake is very aggressive and usually its throw is extremely accurate. The black mamba is the fastest land snake in the world, capable of reaching speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour. This terrible snake is capable of 12 bites in a row.

The venom is a fast-acting neurotoxin. For one injection, the snake throws out an average of 100-120 milligrams of poison. If the poison reaches the vein, then in order to kill a person, 0.25 milligrams of poison per 1 kilogram of the body is enough. Initial symptoms of a bite: pain in the bite area, tingling in the mouth and limbs, double vision, severe confusion, fever, increased salivation, ataxia (lack of muscle control). If the victim does not receive medical attention as soon as possible, the symptoms quickly progress to severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and paralysis. Eventually, respiratory arrest, coma and death occur. Depending on the nature of the bite, death occurs in the range from 15 minutes to 3 hours. Without antivenom, the mortality rate is 100%, the highest mortality rate of any venomous snake.

The tiger snake lives in the southeast of Australia. Her disposition is quite peaceful - the snake attacks only if it is disturbed, but in the event of an attack, it strikes with unmistakable accuracy.

Snake venom is the strongest neurotoxin that causes internal and external bleeding, muscle paralysis. Most often, the death of the victim occurs precisely because of heavy bleeding. Prior to the creation of antivenom, the lethality from the bite of a tiger snake was 60-70%. Death from a bite can occur after 30 minutes, but usually occurs within 6 to 24 hours.

The Philippine cobra, as the name implies, lives in the Philippine Islands, mainly in fields and jungles. This is a relatively small brown snake, the length of which can reach 1 meter.

The Philippine cobra is the most venomous among the cobras. It differs in that it is capable of throwing poison at a distance of up to 3 meters. The poison is a neurotoxin that leads to impaired cardiac and respiratory functions. Human death can occur within 30 minutes after the bite. Symptoms of poisoning include headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dizziness and convulsions.

Many of our readers have probably heard about the viper. This snake is found throughout much of the world. Prefers wet places, forest edges, river banks, swamps, lakes, climbs mountains. Predominantly nocturnal, most active after rains. The viper is a very fast snake.

The initial symptoms of poisoning with viper venom are pain at the site of the bite and swelling of the affected part. You may also experience symptoms such as bleeding (especially from the gums), a drop in blood pressure, and a decrease in heart rate. Often there is superficial necrosis of the affected area, in a third of cases there is vomiting and swelling of the face. In the absence of an antidote in the range from 1 to 14 days, death occurs from blood poisoning, respiratory or heart failure.

The viper-like death snake lives mainly in New Guinea and Australia, preferring rocks and dry places. The snake is both externally and in behavioral factors very similar to the viper, hence its name. A deadly snake can lie in ambush without moving for up to several days, waiting for its prey. It feeds on rodents, small birds, and can attack other snakes. The head of the snake has the shape of a triangle with a sharp neck interception, its body is short and thick.

At one time, the viper-like death snake typically injects 40-100 milligrams of neurotoxic venom. Raw bites are among the most dangerous in the world. The greatest danger to life occurs 24-48 hours after the bite, therefore, due to the slow progression of symptoms, the antidote is quite effective.

Last in our rankings most venomous snakes in the world a rattlesnake, easily recognizable by the special rattles or rattles on its tail. The rattlesnake is very poisonous and neither clothing nor shoes can save you from its bite. The snake lives mainly in North America, prefers dry and rocky areas, holes of rodents and birds. By nature, the snake is lazy, although it can crawl quickly. It reports about itself with a characteristic rustle created by a rattle.

Young rattlesnakes are the most venomous due to their inability to control the amount of venom injected. Rattlesnake venom is a powerful coagulant and causes difficulty in breathing, paralysis, and severe bleeding. A snake bite is always dangerous and requires immediate medical attention. However, the antivenom is usually very effective and reduces mortality by up to 4%.

Many dangerous animals live on the planet - African crocodiles, poisonous spiders, large predators like lions and sharks. However, one category stands out in particular. Yes, these are the very snakes - dangerous and poisonous, large and beautiful animals that are found in all corners of the earth, and a meeting with which can end human life.

These reptiles live on all continents except Antarctica, and on many large and small islands. The largest of the currently known are python and anaconda, the smallest is Leptotyphlops carlae, only 10 cm long. Most known snakes are non-venomous, but those that have a toxin in their arsenal fully compensate for its absence in their relatives.

Below in the article - TOP-10: the most poisonous snakes on the planet.

Schlegel's chain-tailed botrops

This beauty seems rather funny, but her poison is very toxic - it destroys blood vessels and red blood cells. In Costa Rica, about 6 people die every year from the bites of the ciliated viper (another name for it).

Botrops, together with some of the species listed below, are the most venomous snakes in the world. Why are they dangerous?

The ciliated viper is found in Central and South America, and grows up to 50-60 cm. It does not specifically attack people, its main food is hummingbirds, small rodents, frogs, lizards.

However, if someone is unlucky, very unpleasant sensations await him - acute pain, the bitten place swells, internal bleeding may occur. When bitten by an adult snake, medical attention is necessary, otherwise death is possible.

Black Mamba

The black mamba lives in many parts of the African continent - in the list of "the most dangerous snakes in the world", it, like no other, deserves to occupy the first lines. Her throw is extremely accurate, and the poison is toxic. She is very fast - the black mamba can move at a speed of 20 km / h, that is, faster than many people run.

This beauty does not like meetings with a person and seeks to avoid them, her main diet is rodents. However, she is very aggressive and, when cornered, will rush to the attack - despite the fact that the mamba can make up to 12 bites in a row, this scenario makes it extremely dangerous to meet her.

This is, without exaggeration, the most dangerous snake in the world - the rating of poisons gives it the first place, since in the absence of medical care, black mamba victims die in 100% of cases. There is an antidote and in most cases a person can be saved, however, given that death occurs within 15 minutes to 3 hours, there is little time for this.

White-lipped keffiyeh

This snake can be found in India, China, Malaysia and many Indonesian islands. Lives mainly in trees, rarely descends to the ground. Males of this species grow up to 61 cm, females - up to 82 cm. Their main food is small amphibians and mammals, birds, less often lizards.

As shelters, the white-lipped keffiyeh uses abandoned bird nests, hollows, faults, and hides right in the middle of the foliage. Its place in nature is floodplains of rivers and streams, woodlands and shrubs, tropical forests, flat areas and foothills, bamboo thickets, plantations, sometimes lives in the vicinity of cities and towns.

The poison of the white-lipped keffiyeh is complex, it has a neuroparalytic and fibrionolytic effect. Kuffia are also not the most dangerous snakes in the world: there are few deaths from their bite, some even keep them in terrariums as pets. However, meeting with her in the wild, where it is difficult to detect and get out of the way in time, can end sadly.

kraits

The most dangerous snakes on our planet can look harmless or even very beautiful. And a vivid confirmation of this is the kraits. This genus of poisonous snakes has 12 species, among which the yellow-headed krait is considered the most poisonous. It has small teeth, but this is a dubious advantage in places where people wear light clothes.

Snakes of this species live on the islands of the Malay Archipelago, in South Asia and Australia. They love dry places full of hiding places, and often crawl into the dwellings of people, as a result of which meetings of both occur quite often.

The average length of the krait is 1.5-2 meters. They are active mainly at night and at dusk, feeding on small mammals, lizards, amphibians and snakes.

Krayt is able to kill 10 people with one dose of his poison. If you ask a reptile specialist to name the ten most venomous snakes on the planet, he will definitely mention the krait.

Reticulated brown snake

80% of snake bites in Australia are from the reticulated brown snake. On average, these reptiles grow up to one and a half meters in length, this is one of the most dangerous snakes on the continent. Firstly, she hunts during the day, which coincides with the period of human activity, and, secondly, she has a complex poison, which is a mixture of neurotoxins with anticoagulants (affecting the entire body and the liver with kidneys in particular).

The reticulated brown snake attacks without warning. She is a selective and highly adaptable hunter, fully deserving of a place on the list of "most dangerous snakes in the world." She is able to live in the suburbs and towns. Residents and guests of Australia can find a thin flexible body in a barn, barn, garage, even in their own closet - in search of rodents, she climbs anywhere.

african boomslang

A tree snake capable of growing up to 3 meters in length. Boomslang lives in the south and in the southwestern part of Africa, and its poison is very toxic - when it enters the bloodstream, it immediately begins to destroy cells.

In recent years, only 23 cases of attacks by this snake on a person have been registered; at a meeting, she prefers to crawl away than to attack.

This reptile usually hides in bushes or tall grass, it is also an excellent tree climber and is able to imitate branches with its coloration. Its main food is birds, the boomslang will also eat eggs. Moreover, he has an excellent reaction - he is able to grab a bird on the fly. It is with the African boomslang that the death of the famous zoologist Carl Patterson Schmidt in 1957 is associated.

black-necked cobra

Known for her ability to spit venom. The black-necked cobra is found in the savannas of Africa, the color of its body varies from light brown to dark brown, the throat and neck are black.

The black-necked cobra is widely known for its peculiarity: having met with something, in its opinion, dangerous, it rises above the ground and “shoots” with a stream of poison. In one run, the snake releases about 3.7 mg of the toxin. In a state of strong irritation, the black-necked cobra is able to shoot up to 28 times in a row, having spent up to 135 mg of poison - almost its entire supply from poisonous glands. The target of "shots" is always the eyes - local residents and tourists from time to time become victims of such meetings.

Arizona snake

This is one of the smallest snakes of the aspid family, its length reaches only 40 cm. Its body color is very memorable - alternating black, red and white rings. Arizona snakes are not the most dangerous snakes in the world: to get into trouble, it is not enough just to meet her, you also need to behave in the most stupid way.

This bright snake lives in the desert areas of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico and is known for its unusual behavior - when something threatens it, it hides underground, leaving only a tail coiled outside and making popping sounds. The person who met her can simply leave - however, if you try to pull out the asp or grab the tail, problems are guaranteed.

Thin teeth 8 millimeters long bite almost painlessly. Moreover, the effect does not occur immediately - the symptoms of poisoning appear 8-24 hours after the bite.

The Arizona asp, the only cobra relative in North America, injects a small amount of venom, but it is enough to kill. Without an antidote, muscle paralysis can set in, eventually leading to cardiac arrest and death.

taipan

The Taipan genus includes three species of very poisonous snakes - the Taipan itself, a cruel snake, and Oxyuranus temporalis, discovered recently, in 2007.

All of them - rather large snakes, whose bite is very dangerous - before the advent of an antidote from their poison, they died in 90% of cases.

The coastal taipan is Australia's largest venomous snake and is ranked third or fourth in terms of toxicity by various estimates. Due to its aggressive nature, high speed of movement and size, it is undesirable to meet with it - in the state of Queensland, where taipans are most often found, every second bitten person dies, and death can occur in 4-12 hours.

And if someone asked an Australian about what is the most dangerous snake in the world, he might well hear in response - taipan, and his closest relative is a cruel snake. And it's hard to argue with that.

This animal is an inhabitant of Central Australia, prefers cracks and breaks in the soil in dry plains and deserts, and feeds mainly on small mammals. The snake grows up to 1.9 meters in length and is the only Australian species currently known to change color with the seasons.

The venom of a fierce snake is enough to kill 100 people or 250,000 mice - among land species, this is the most poisonous. Fortunately, this snake is not at all aggressive - most of the documented cases of bites were caused by human carelessness.

King Cobra

The average body length of this beauty is 3-4 meters, the largest of those caught reached 5.71 m. The king cobra lives for about 30 years, continuing to grow all this time. Thanks to the diet of this snake, the most dangerous reptiles in the world should also be wary of it - after all, it feeds mainly on other types of snakes, not disdaining and poisonous, for which it was given the name Ophiophagus hannah.

There are several exceptional features peculiar to this reptile:

• She can regulate the amount of poison when she bites - in most cases she bites a person without toxin (according to some scientists, she does not want to waste precious poison on someone who is not prey).
• A snake can use its respiratory system to make sounds. Of the reptiles known today, only the king cobra and the Indian rat snake can do this.
• The female makes a nest for eggs, which is uncharacteristic for snakes of other species, and guards it throughout the entire incubation period - about 100 days. During this time, the cobra is able to do without food.
• The venom of the Hamadryad can even kill an elephant if it bites on its trunk or fingers (the only places vulnerable to snake teeth).

Candidates for the title

Of course, the most poisonous snakes in the world, top ratings for which are regularly compiled by various experts and popularizers, were not all included in this list. In fact, there are many dangerous ones. In addition to those mentioned, the bites of a rattlesnake, sand efa, viper-like death snake, Philippine cobra, tiger, eastern brown snake are very toxic.

The latter prefers to live near settlements and can be very aggressive - biting and harassment by this reptile is not uncommon.

rattlesnake

The well-known rattlesnake is capable of biting through both clothes and shoes, and although it “kindly” announces its presence with a crackle of its tail, not all of its “victims” can be saved. Representatives of this category are not the most dangerous snakes in the world, but a meeting with them can end in death - although a vaccine exists, bitten people die in 4% of cases.

In fact, rattlesnakes are a whole subfamily of venomous snakes, which includes approximately 224 species. Their sizes vary greatly.

The rattlesnake prefers to bypass people, he attacks if he is in danger or has nowhere to run. It hunts mainly at night, although it can crawl out to bask in the sun during the day. For wintering, these snakes often gather together, warming each other and hibernating in such a snake ball.

sand efa

This is a medium-sized snake, up to 75 cm long, living mainly in clay deserts, in abandoned ruins, thickets of bushes, on river cliffs. It feeds mainly on small rodents, as well as birds, toads and frogs, lizards, young individuals eat, in addition, scorpions, centipedes, darklings.

So much is said about sand efs that they are already becoming a legend. According to rumors, the bite of this snake is capable of killing a company of soldiers, and the vaccine, although it saves from death, does not completely cure the effects of the bite (a person may remain crippled). If a resident of Africa wanted to name the seven most dangerous poisonous snakes on his continent, the efa would definitely be among them.

In reality, every year in Africa, many people die from the poison of sand epha. This death is far from pleasant - the poison reduces the amount of fibrinogen in the blood, causing bleeding - at the site of the bite, from the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth.

But by itself, this snake does not attack people - most deaths occur due to human negligence. She very rarely crawls into dwellings, and warns of an attack with a characteristic rustling sound that she makes with her tail.

You do not need to be a herpetophobe to know which of the snakes are dangerous or completely harmless. But if the most poisonous snake in the world meets and bites, it will cost a person his life. Let's find out which of them are the most dangerous.

Taipan is the most venomous snake

The most venomous snake is the taipan living on the Australian continent. The second name of this snake is Fierce. This name is explained by the fact that the concentration of poison in one snake bite will kill a hundred people. Taipan venom is 10 times more deadly than a rattlesnake and 50 times more deadly than that of the most dangerous cobra.

Taipan reacts with lightning speed to aggression, bites the enemy several times in a row. A person bitten by a taipan experiences paralysis of the respiratory muscles, he has symptoms of blood incoagulability. After a bite, if an antidote is not administered, a person dies in 4 hours.

Taipans are peaceful and attack only in case of aggression on the part of a person, while not spraying the entire dose of poison when bitten. These snakes do not settle near human habitation, so they are not common. In the 1950s, an antidote for snake venom was developed. If you go to the hospital in a timely manner in case of a bite, you will get off only with fright.

Taipans from the asp family are presented in three types:

• common (coastal, New Guinean, northwestern Australian);
• McCoy (cruel or inland);
• temporalis (inland) is a little-known species, as it was only discovered in 2007.

Coastal taipans are large (up to 3.5 m long) snakes of a uniform brownish or reddish hue. McCoy's view is slightly shorter (1.9 m long). This is the only snake in Australia that changes color depending on the season (darker in winter). It is assumed that the newly discovered species of taipan - temporalis - is more poisonous than its counterparts. Scientists cannot say for sure, because this species is rare.

Taipans are the most dangerous land snakes. And among marine life, the deadliest champion is the Belcher snake. Its poison is 10 times more dangerous: a dose of poison from one bite is enough to kill 1,000 people. But she is peaceful and bites only the fishermen to whom she gets caught in the net. At the same time, when bitten, not the entire dose is injected into the wound, so some victims survive.

The most dangerous snakes: list

If we compare the strength of the snake venom, then the list in descending order looks like this:

• Mulga (brown King). Like most of the most dangerous asps, it lives in Australia. Mulgi venom is extremely deadly. Even a meeting with an immature individual can end in a fatal outcome. The snake is aggressive and pursues the offender, but in half of the cases it does not bite. To avoid danger, when encountering this reptile, freeze and do not move.
• Blue (or Malay) krait, found in Southeast Asia. Most dangerous at night when hunting. The bite is fatal in 50% of cases of timely administration of the antidote. The agony lasts 6-12 hours.
• Black mamba from Africa. It is considered the fastest on earth among its relatives: it is capable of overcoming 20 km in an hour. The snake is extremely accurate and can attack up to a dozen times. The poison from one bite is able to kill more than ten people. If you do not enter the antidote, then death occurs within half an hour in 100% of cases.
• Tiger snake from Australia. Its attack always ends in a bite, as the reptile never misses. As a rule, it is a peaceful snake, but in danger it always acts decisively. The neurotoxin in the venom initially causes severe pain at the site of the bite, and death occurs by suffocation.
• Philippine cobra. Among its relatives, the most deadly. A distinctive feature of all cobras is a beautiful hood that opens during aggression. The main danger of this snake is its ability to spit out neurotoxic venom at a distance of up to 3 m.
• Viper (lives everywhere). The most dangerous vipers (sand vipers) are found in Central Asia and the Middle East. A distinctive feature of the action of viper venom is extensive tissue necrosis, intoxication of the body. Bites are painful. Without treatment, a person dies in a few days from sepsis, a malfunction of the respiratory or cardiac system.
• Australian spiketail. Snakes prey on their fellows. Outwardly similar to rattlesnakes. Throw speed when attacking - 0.13 s. If an antidote is not administered, the bitten person dies within 6 hours from asphyxia.

• The rattlesnake is common in the North American region. It got its name from the rattle located at the tip of the tail. These are dead skin scales that, when the tail bends, touch each other and rattle. A snake attacks a person only when it is cornered.

These venomous snakes are dangerous to humans. Snake venom, injected with a bite, belongs to neuro- and hemotoxins. They depress the respiratory function (as a result, shortness of breath, paralysis) and cause coagulation (clotting). After a bite, scars remain on the skin.

A meeting with poisonous snakes can end in death, and even if an antidote is administered on time, this does not always save a life. Basically, these creatures are quite peaceful and attack if they feel danger. Vital advice: if you are in a snake habitat, be careful and careful not to inadvertently provoke a reptile.