THE WORLD'S MOST POISONOUS SNAKES

DUBOIS’S SEA SNAKE

This treacherous swimming snake is found from the coasts of

western and northern Australia to the islands of New Guinea

and New Caledonia. Although the Dubois’s sea snake has

one of the deadliest venoms known, its bite, thank God!,

delivers less than one-tenth of a milligram, which is

usually not enough to kill a human.

EYELASH VIPER

A typical ambush predator, the eyelash viper waits patiently

for unsuspecting prey to wander by. Sometimes it is known

to select a specific ambush site and return to it every

year in time for the spring migration of birds. Studies

have indicated that these snakes learn to improve their

strike accuracy over time, while there are rumours among

villagers in parts of South America that this snake will wink,

flashing its eyelashes at its victim, following a venomous strike.

BOOMSLANG

Many venomous members of the family Colubridae, to which the

boomslang belongs, are harmless to humans because of

small venom glands and inefficient fangs. However, the

boomslang is a notable exception in that it has a highly potent

venom, which it delivers through large fangs located at the back

of its jaw. Boomslangs are able to open their jaws up to 170°

when biting, releasing bigger amounts of venom, which usually kills

the victim from internal or even external bleeding.

CORAL SNAKE

A bite from the notoriously venomous eastern coral snake

at first seems anticlimactic. There is little or no pain or

swelling, and other symptoms can be delayed for twelve hours.

However, if untreated by antivenin, the neurotoxin begins to

disrupt the connections between the brain and the muscles,

causing slurred speech, double vision, and muscular paralysis,

eventually ending in respiratory or cardiac failure.

GWARDAR OR WESTERN BROWN SNAKE

The western brown snake, or gwardar, is a species of very fast,

highly venomous elapid snake native to Australia. Its colour

and pattern are rather variable, depending largely on its

location, but its venom and the fatal damage it causes its

victims (including humans) is standard.

SAW-SCALED VIPER

Saw-scaled vipers are small but their irritability, aggressive

nature, and lethal venom make them very dangerous. They

are usually quick to strike and mortality rates for those

bitten are high. In the regions where they live (Africa, Arabia,

Southwest Asia), it is believed that saw-scaled vipers are

responsible for more human deaths than all other

snake species combined.

RATTLESNAKE

Even though rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal to humans when

given proper medical treatment (including antivenin), its

bites are some of the most frequent among all snakes.

The greatest concentration of them is in the Southwest and

northern Mexico, while Arizona is home to thirteen

species of rattler, more than any other state.

INDIAN COBRA

Arguably the most popular snake in the world, this highly

venomous snake feeds on rodents, lizards and frogs. As well

as biting, the Indian cobra can attack or defend itself from

a distance by “spitting” venom, which, if it enters the

opponent’s eyes, causes severe pain and damage.