Snakes are among the most feared animals on Earth. Some snakes are venomous, meaning their bite can inject poison that can cause paralysis, bleeding, organ failure, heart attack, and even death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 5.4 million people are bitten by venomous snakes every year, and 81,000 to 138,000 die from these bites. However, snakes usually bite only to defend themselves and do not attack humans on purpose. They mainly use their venom to catch prey that would otherwise be too hard to catch. Thanks to anti-venom, deaths from snake bites have decreased, but the danger still exists, especially in countries where anti-venom is hard to find. Here are six of the world’s deadliest snakes that can kill a human if not treated quickly.
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Inland Taipan
According to the International Journal of Neuropharmacology, the Inland Taipan is the most venomous snake in the world, as noted by Live Science. This means that just a small amount of this snake's venom is deadly enough to kill a human.
According to BBC Wildlife, a single bite has enough lethality to kill at least 100 adult humans. They are mostly found in the burrows of other animals in Queensland, the Midwest, and South Australia. Due to their secretive nature, they rarely come into contact with humans, thankfully.
According to Live Science, the main component of the Inland Taipan's venom is the enzyme hyaluronidase. This enzyme speeds up the absorption of toxins into the victim's body.
Coastal Taipan
Found mainly in the humid forests of temperate and tropical coastal regions, the coastal taipan is a highly venomous snake. This subspecies is native to parts of Australia, such as Queensland and New South Wales. According to the Australian Museum, its incredible speed makes it difficult to escape its bite. According to Australian Geographic, before the development of effective antivenom, its bite was always fatal.
Black Mamba
Known for their black face, the black mamba is a highly aggressive species of snake. Found in sub-Saharan Africa, they are among the most feared. Like most snakes, even mambas do not seek out humans but will attack if they are threatened.
According to the BBC, if you are bitten by a black mamba, you will experience symptoms such as slurred speech and muscle twitching within 10 minutes and death is likely within half an hour.
Russell's Viper
The bite of Russell's Vipers is the most painful. They are quite aggressive and are one of the "Big Four" along with the Indian Cobra, Common Crate and Saw-scaled Viper. According to the BBC, these snakes are responsible for 43% of all snake bites in India.
However, an anti-venom has been developed against its venom which has saved many lives.
According to the Natural History Museum, the king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world. Did you know that if a cobra is threatened, it can raise itself up to about a third of its body length off the ground?
It is one of the deadliest snakes and is found in India. Encounters with humans are quite common in rural areas of India, especially during the monsoon season. Molecular biologist Sean Carroll wrote in the New York Times that a single bite can kill a human in 15 minutes and an adult elephant in just a few hours.
Saw-scaled vipers
As part of the Big Four, saw-scaled vipers are found in the Middle East, South Asia and Central Asia. They are generally aggressive and can be identified by their "fierce" sound when threatened. According to BBC Wildlife, they are responsible for an estimated 5,000 human deaths each year in India alone.
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