If we are scared of a bite, it surely has to come from a snake. Well, that’s when we aren’t considering the ones inflicted by a shark that’ll probably chomp off your entire foot, the focus is on an “innocent” bite that just leaves you paralyzed or dead! Even though not all snakes are venomous, some are and that is enough for us to be scared of them all. The scary bit is that some of them have the potential to inflict a death sentence within 30 minutes! Wanna know about the most venomous snakes in the world? ut first you need a good news, so know that most of the snakes aren’t coming to get you- they just need privacy and if you don’t come in the way, you are safe!
Number 10 Rattlesnake
The name comes from the rattle located at the end of their tails, which makes a loud rattling noise when vibrated. Take that as a warning bell, when you hear it- you run! Being a mixture of five to 15 enzymes, their venom is hemotoxic, destroying tissue, causing necrosis and coagulopathy. Rattlesnakes use their venom to immobilize and disable the prey, where their digestive enzymes break down tissue to prepare for later ingestion. If you aren’t already trembling, remember that rattlesnakes are the leading contributor to snakebite injuries in North America. Scary!
Number 9
Death Adder When a snake is named after death, you have no choice but to be scared or rather VERY scared! Native to Australia, this snake has a broad flattened, triangular head and a thick body with colored bands and reaches a maximum body length of 70–100 cm. Death adders possess the longest fangs of any Australian snake and is one of the most venomous land snakes globally. Its venom contains neurotoxin which can cause paralysis or even kill, that too within six hours after the bite. It can deliver the fastest strike among all venomous snakes recorded in Australia. Shouldn’t we be scared?
Number 8 Viper
The vipers have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Yikes! Their venom contains an abundance of protein-degrading enzymes that cause pain, necrosis, blood loss from cardiovascular damage and disruption of the blood-clotting system. All this leads to a sudden drop in blood pressure which can cause DEATH! Doesn’t sound nice! Apart from being venomous, why else should you fear the vipers? Simple, they are one of the most widely spread snakes so your chances of encountering them are pretty high! Anybody looking forward to this meeting?
Number 7 Philippine Cobra
This 1m long snake has long cervical ribs capable of expanding, so when threatened, a hood can be formed. But that’s not why the Philippine Cobra has made it to this list, there are some interesting things awaiting your attention! Its venom can cause neurotoxicity and respiratory paralysis which start with symptoms like headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and difficulty breathing. You know what’s the most terrifying thing about this snake? They are capable of accurately spitting their venom at a target up to 3m, now that takes the “maintain distance” norm to a whole new level!
Number 6 Tiger Snake
How about we tell you that Tiger snakes accounted for 17% of identified snakebite victims in Australia between 2005 and 2015? A tiger snake’s bite causes localized pain in the foot and neck region, tingling, numbness, and sweating, followed by a fairly rapid onset of breathing difficulties and paralysis. The mortality rate from untreated bites is reported to be between 40 and 60%. That’s already too much to handle but wait for the worse. Tiger snakes give birth to 20 to 30 live young! Well, such venomous snakes should be given family planning lectures, not for them but for our life, don’t you agree?
Number 5 Black Mamba
The longest species of venomous snake indigenous to the African continent, Black Mamba grows to about 2-3m and its skin color varies from grey to dark brown. When you see a Black Mamba opening its inky-black mouth, spreading its narrow neck-flap and hissing, run for your life because the snake is feeling threatened. So what happens when the snake feels threatened from you? It might give you a series of kisses with its fangs! And since its venom is primarily composed of potent neurotoxins, it may cause a fast onset of symptoms. Even though you see them as aggressive beings, they would try to flee from humans unless cornered. Strange!
Number 4 Taipan
These large, fast-moving Australasian snakes are considered some of the most deadly snakes. They possess highly neurotoxic venom with some other toxic constituents that have multiple effects on victims. It may paralyze the victim's nervous system and clot the blood, which then blocks blood vessels. The venom in a Taipan is strong enough to kill up to 12,000 guinea pigs. Like seriously? Another problem associated with this snake is that due to its larger side, it is capable of injecting a large quantity of venom in the victim! OMG, we are scared for life!
Number 3 Blue Krait
The Blue Krait snake may attain a total length of 108 cm, with a tail 16 cm long. Dorsally, it has a pattern of 27-34 dark-brown, black, or bluish-black crossbands on the body and tail, which are narrowed and rounded on the sides. Its venom has caused an untreated mortality rate of 60-70% on humans. The venom is a neurotoxin, 16 times more potent than that of a Cobra which quickly induces muscle paralysis. Another shocking thing about them is that they hunt and kill other snakes, even cannibalizing other Kraits. A snake that is also a cannibal, fear has a new definition!
Number 2 Eastern Brown Snake
If we tell you that 1/14,000 of an ounce of its venom is enough to kill an adult human, what would be your reaction? Fear, obviously- we were just checking if you are still in your senses or have passed out already! Since its preferred habitat is along the major population centers of Australia, you have all the more reasons to fear it! Alright, we know that’s too much to bear so we decided to show you the positives. Even though the venom contains both neurotoxins and blood coagulants, less than half of bites contain venom and they prefer not to bite if at all possible. Finally some good news!
Number 1 Inland Taipan
When we say that the most venomous snake is endemic to semi-arid regions of central east Australia, it comes as no shock, right? Its venom, drop for drop, is by far the most toxic of any snake! Who would want to be anywhere near it, not us for sure! It is estimated that one bite possesses enough lethality to kill at least 100 fully grown men, and, depending on the nature of the bite, it has the potential to kill someone in as little as 30 to 45 minutes if left untreated.
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