The Deadliest Snake?

[The Last Standing Knight]

I think the Black Mamba based not only on the potency of the venom but the ferocity of the species.

There are some real bad boys in Australia too but the names escape me at the moment. I think they are black or brown snakes (referred to such informally) but don't recall the formal names of these serpents.

Tiger Snake in the land down under. Although the Funnel Web Spider is the one we were preached to about the most before going ashore in Sydney.

In the US, probably the Coral Snake...although the Mojave Green rattler ranks near the top, too.

Where I live, ANY rattler is all but extinct, our most common poisionous snake is the Copperhead...followed by the Cottonmouth.

When I was in the far east, it was the "Asian Two-Step", a tiny, highly venomous viper officially known as the Bamboo Viper. That and the Krait, which was called the Minute Snake for obvious reasons. Saw lots of very colorful sea snakes off the waters of Thailand....pretty nasty and aggressive, too.

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

I'm surprised none of the Florida members mentioned the Water Moccasin.

They are very aggressive, and will actually come at you (not really chase you, but come towards you till you have the sense to run away or use your shotgun on the thing).

They sometimes fall into boats on the lakes, but I think this is a matter of brushing the limb and knocking them off rather than them trying to attack. Of course, if that happens, leaving the boat is a pretty good idea. Shooting a hole through the snake and boat will work, too. Oars are acceptable as well.

Also, the old Cotton Mouth will bite more than once. Did I mention that they are very aggressive?

I don't want to be in a phone booth with any of them. Of course, that's unlikely. When's the last time you saw a phone booth?

Bob

Sorry, but I WAS chased by one and so was my best friend, who decided it would be fun to tick the thing off in the first place DESPITE my telling him to leave the blasted thing alone. The snake came up on land and chased us literally into the back of his 3/4 ton Chevy approximately 15 yds on land. The chase ended with one shot from a 410 shotgun.

The Cottonmouth measured out to a little over two feet.

(Happened on a slough on the north end of Lake Livingston)

 

[35Rem]

I don't want to be in a phone booth with any of them. Of course, that's unlikely. When's the last time you saw a phone booth?

Bob

OK, how about a porta potty, then?

I've seen mention of a coral snake. Not very aggressive and no fangs. I could take care of him.
I HATE moccasains! Worthless beasts.
The mambas are probably the worst. No argument with the King Cobra, either.

 

[delta-419]

In my area of Florida its the eastern diamondback and the pigmy rattler. I live not far from (real name) Rattle Snake Ridge. I keep a sharp eye out for them when drinking my morning cup of coffee, killed 2 on the patio this past year. Wife opened the side door to the garage a couple of weeks ago and almost stepped on one 4 footer. Good thing she was looking down. Got one we killed last year mounted in my gun room, 13 rattlers and a button, a monster snake. Makes a neat trophy. Tried shooting one on the patio with my old 1880s S&W breaktop .32, it was a running battle. I won. We are down in the woods about a 1/2 mile off the main road and there are plenty of snakes to go around. The black snakes in trees tend to spook me a bit.

 

[Jswiney9]

Sorry, but I WAS chased by one and so was my best friend, who decided it would be fun to tick the thing off in the first place DESPITE my telling him to leave the blasted thing alone. The snake came up on land and chased us literally into the back of his 3/4 ton Chevy approximately 15 yds on land. The chase ended with one shot from a 410 shotgun.

The Cottonmouth measured out to a little over two feet.

(Happened on a slough on the north end of Lake Livingston)

there is a huge difference between a common water snake and a cotton mouth, the common water snake is one of the most aggressive snakes in north america, it is NOT venomous, the cottonmouth IS venomous and is not as aggressive.

My vote for deadliest snake goes to the fierce snake or inland taipan, it is the most venomous land snake on earth with the venom about 40 times stronger than any rattlesnake, they also can inject up to 100mg of venom with a single strike. They are absolutely gorgeous though!

My vote for deadliest snake in North America is probably going to the western diamondback because it kills the most people.

 

[straightshooter1]

Last Standing Knight-I guess I have been fortunate, never had one do that. Of course, I try to shoot the darned things pretty quickly, so maybe I just never gave one a chance.

A two footer is still pretty small but I want no part of any of them.

We have a Great Egret that lives near our home and he keeps eating the good snakes in our back yard. My wife likes that, but I keep telling her there are really "good snakes" that are still living. She's one who thinks the only good snake is a dead snake.

Bob

 

[Strato]

The coral snake though not being really aggresive and having no fangs, if one does bite you and break the skin it's all over. I know a few people who have been bitten by diamondbacks and are still alive. The water moccasin on the other hand is very deadly and will cross the street just to bite you. However the trouser snake will travel the far corners of the earth to strike.

 

[jimmyj]

The Little ASP!!

 

[bmx]

Here in Oklahoma we have the copperheadedrattlemoc which are mean as hell and super and aggressive.

They have about a cup of venon per fang and have been known to jump at least 15 feet in distance at a height of a Chevy truck window when striking at prey. These snakes have been observed chasing people who have crossed their path at 32 miles per hour for up to 300 yards then the snake settles into a 17 MPH ground covering lope that can be maintained for 2 hours or more.

The are published photograpfs of Ford and toyota trucks with the side widows broken out from the strike of this snake on various state highways. Many times the snakes will strike the front tire of vehicles on the highway cauing the tires to swell resulting bad wrecks.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol recomends calling PETA or the local tree huggers when one of these snakes is found. Let them handle them and reap their just rewards of trying to help nature.

There is no known snake bit serum for these little devils, but word of mouth has suggested large quantities of Coors or Jack Daniels will slow down swelling and the after effects of their bite.

 

[jag312]

I was almost bit by a rattlesnake when I was a child. Since that time I have felt that the only good rattlesnake is a dead rattlesnake. However, a Stiletto snake from Africa causes a real nasty bite. The venom causes both flesh and bone to dissolve. Sometimes you die, and sometimes you wish you were dead.

 

[semperfi71]

Thanks people, I ain't gonna get no sleep tonight. That last set of pics is gruesome.

 

[kmyers]

I always heard that other than some of the sea snakes that the fierce snake(northern taipan) is most dangerous.

 

[Mule88]

I like Tom Turners answer

 

[jeepjeepwhat]

I would say the most dangerous snake would be, any venomous snake that you didn't see.

 

[wbraswell]

In North America, any big Diamondback, East or West, don't matter. Black Mamba, hands down, to me. They are big, aggressive, probably over 95% lethal, and fast!

 

[Texas Star]

We're geting good answers. I see that some are going with the most venomous, drop-for-drop, and some by the largest number of bites.

The common taipan and the Austalian brown snake have sometimes shown aggression on par with the black mamba, which is considered the fastest of all snakes. Because the Inland Taipan (Fierce snake) is exposed to so few peple, few are ever bitten by it.

Our coral snake does have fangs, but they are short, and most bites from them involve people molesting them. But a bite that is successfuly delivered may well be fatal.

The Mojave rattler is probably the most likely to kill of US snakes, but the similar-looking Western Diamondback kills more people. It simply bites more.

Glad to see Russell's viper and the Saw-Scaled Viper mentioned.

T-Star

 

[old bear]

Duke426, I believe the snake you were referring to is the Tipan (Sp.). The mamba in addition to having a very strong neurotoxin is fast and aggressive. The cottonmouth apparently can be very aggressive. The copperhead is often found in suburban areas here in the Southeast can have a painful but seldom deadly bite.
“One study found that 70% of all venomous snake bite victims (in the US), were males between the age of 17 - 29 who had been drinking...” I read somewhere that most snake bites occur when a human attempts to capture or kill a snake.

 

[Jst1mr]

The Wisconsin Snowsnake, being pure white, is almost impossible to see in the winter months. If bitten, one is forced to take several shots of brandy and sit next to a hole in the ice with a rdiculously short fishing pole for several hours at a time...I have been bitten repeatedly.

 

[Dennis The B]

The World Almanac and Book of Facts...

...has a good listing in it, naming the major venomous animals. The snakes are listed, and how deadly they are. Here are a few:

"Saw-scaled, or carpet viper - as much as 2 ft. long; in dry areas from India to Africa; severe bleeding, fever, high mortaility, causes more human fatalities than any other snake; antivenom."

"Yellow of Cape cobra - 7 ft long; in S. Africa, most toxic veom of any cobra; rapid onset of swelling, breathing and cardiac difficulties; mortality is nigh without treatment; antivenom."

"Krait - up to 5 ft long. om SE Asia; rapid onset of sleepiness; numbness; up to 50% mortality even with use of antivenom."

"Tiger snake - 2 ft to 6 ft long, S Australia; pain, numbness, mental disturbances with rapid paralysis; may be deadliest of all land snakes, but antivenom is quite effective"

Others listed include the King Cobra, Death adder, Puff adder, Ringhalls or spitting cobra, Sea snakes, rattlesnakes, etc.

One of the things mentioned is that not all bites are envenomed. Infections and tetanus are great dangers.

 

[KLNFrame]

List of Deadliest Snakes in the world as per their ranking


1) Fierce Snake or Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus ), Australia. The most toxic venom of any snake. Maximum yield recorded (for one bite) is 110mg. That would porbably be enough to kill over 100 people or 250,000 mice. These rare snakes are vitually unknown in collections outside of Australia.
2) Australian Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis ), Australia. One 1/14,000 of an ounce of this vemon is enough to kill a person.
3) Malayan Krait (Bungarus candidus ), Southeast Asia and Indonesia. 50% of the bites from this snake are fatal even with the use of antivenin treatment.
4) Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus ), Australia. The venom delivered in a single Taipan bite is enough to kill up to 12,000 guinea pigs.
5) Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus ), Australia.
6) Beaked Sea Snake (Enhydrina schistosa ), South Asian waters Arabian Sea to Coral Sea..
7) Saw Scaled Viper (Echis carinatus ), Middle East Asia.
8) Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius ), North America.
9) Boomslang (Dispholidus typus ), Africa.
10) Death Adder (Acanthopis antarcticus ), Australia and New Guinea.
11) Black Mamba, both species of Green Mambas, and the Mojave Rattlesnake.


Peter