Few animals strike as much fear into people as venomous snakes. Although the chances of running into a venomous snake, much less being bitten and dying from the toxin injected into one’s body, are miniscule compared to dying from cancer, heart disease, or an automobile accident, this seemingly unreasonable fear remains very real for many people. The snakes described here live primarily in tropical regions, but some might be living in research centers and zoos near you.
A dangerous African snake named for its black mouth
The “black,” or black-mouthed, mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) inhabits rocky savanna and can often be encountered on the ground, where it seems to be fond of termite mounds. Ranging in color from gray to dark brown, its name derives from the blackened inside of its mouth. The black mamba is feared because it is large and quick, and it possesses an extremely potent venom that kills most of its human victims. Despite its aggressive reputation, unprovoked attacks on humans have not been proved, and it is responsible for only a small number of deaths annually.
The barba amarilla (“yellow chin”) of Latin America
The venom of some species, including the Okinawa habu (T. flavoviridis), an aggressive snake that often enters human dwellings in the Ryukyu Islands, is mildly dangerous. On the other hand, the venom of the terciopelo (B. asper), the fer-de-lance of Central America is necrotizing, painful, and often deadly. Other dangerous fer-de-lances include the jararaca (B. jararca) of Brazil and the wutu (Bothrops alternatus) of Argentina.
One of the most dangerous snakes in Africa
The boomslang (Dispholidus typus) hunts by extending the forward part of its body motionless from a tree, its form mimicking a branch. A rear-fanged snake, it delivers its venom by chewing on its victim until the victim succumbs to the toxins.
The quintessential Australian cobra
The eastern tiger snake (Notechis scutatus) is the most widely distributed type of tiger snake, which inhabits the southern fringe of Australia and the region’s nearby islands. As it prepares to strike, it flattens its head and neck in a manner similar to Asian and African cobras.
The killer of the most people
The saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) may be the deadliest of all snakes, since scientists believe it to be responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined. Its venom, however, is lethal in less than 10 percent of untreated victims, but the snake’s aggressiveness means it bites early and often.
A dangerous snake with a triangular-shaped cross section
The banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) is a highly venomous relative of the cobra. Its venom is essentially a neurotoxin that induces paralysis.
The longest venomous snake in the world
The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the longest venomous snake in the world. Its bite delivers a tremendous amount of paralysis-inducing neurotoxins. The snake’s venom is so strong and so voluminous that it can kill an elephant in just a few hours. Death also results in at least 50 to 60 percent of untreated human cases.
The largest relative of the cobra in Australia
The coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) produces venom that is nearly identical to that of its inland cousin. Its bite is lethal in more than 80 percent of untreated cases.
The snake with the world’s deadliest venom
The bite of an inland or western taipan—Oxyuranus microlepidotus, also called, appropriately, the fierce snake—delivers a veritable witch’s brew of toxins. The venom consists of taipoxin, a complex mix of neurotoxins, procoagulants, and myotoxins that paralyze muscles, inhibit breathing, cause hemorraging in blood vessels and tissues, and damage muscles.
