Fact of life

You may be somewhat familiar with these sea snakes. They are quite common, and you may have seen them in films or even in person. They are recognizable from their stripes. Usually these snakes have no interest in confrontation, but if one feels threatened, it may bite you. Three out of four times this will be no big deal, since only about one quarter of Belcher’s Sea Snakes carry venom. Those that do though have the highest concentration of venom in existence. Just a few milligrams has the capacity to kill thousands of human beings, making this the most poisonous snake in the world. Nonetheless, most Belcher’s Sea Snakes are quite harmless thanks to a docile personality and a lack of venom.

2. Rattlesnake

When most people think of poisonous snakes, the rattlesnake springs to mind pretty quickly. These snakes are found throughout the Americas and are actually a type of viper. Their name comes of course from the rattle which is found at the end of the tail and which creates a distinctive noise. Eastern Diamondbacks are the most poisonous of all rattlesnakes. Thankfully, only about 4% of bites result in fatalities with prompt treatment, but untreated, any rattlesnake bite has the potential to kill. The venom can also cause permanent damage to organs and may even lead to the loss of a limb.

3. Death Adder

You know that famous legend about Cleopatra using a snake to kill herself? The type of snake she supposedly used was a death adder. You can find these snakes throughout Australia, New Guinea, and other regions. A bite can result in paralysis, respiratory arrest, and death inside of only six hours. With fast treatment, a patient is unlikely to die, but without treatment, about 50% of bites are lethal. Death adders also prey on other snakes.

4. Inland Taipan

While it’s difficult to be as impressed by the Inland Taipan after learning about the concentration of venom in a Belcher’s Sea Snake bite, it’d be foolish to discount the Taipan just because its bite can only kill as many as 100 people! Taipans usually avoid human contact, however, and you are unlikely to ever encounter ones

5. Eastern Brown Snake

This type of snake is among the few which are actually aggressive. It is commonly found in Australia, and may be found in populated areas like cities, not just remote locations. If it perceives someone as a threat, it will actually chase that person out of its territory. If the snake is not confident of its safety, it may decide to bite. If it does so, it may bite many times during a single attack. Less than half contain venom, but those that do can cause paralysis or death. Because of its proximity to population centers and its aggression, you could argue the Eastern Brown Snake is the most dangerous snake in the world.

6. Blue Krait

This snake is not as well known as some, but its venom is 16 times more potent than that of the cobra! There also is no really good antivenin to use, which makes it quite deadly. The Blue Krait tends to keep to itself and usually only comes out at night, though, so it is generally easy to avoid.

7. Black Mamba

This snake is usually found in Africa. A single bite contains enough venom to kill ten people (Just ten? You’re still thinking about that sea snake, aren’t you). It can travel as fast as 20 km/h, which makes it the fastest snake on the planet. The Black Mamba will bite a number of times when it attacks, and if the bite is not treated, it is almost always going to result in death.

8. Tiger Snake

This snake is native to Australia and is recognizable because of it width and yellow bands. The bites are very accurate, and without treatment, will result in death nearly three quarters of the time.

9. Philippine Cobra

This snake is easily spotted because of its wide neck collar. While cobras inspire fear, most types of cobras don’t even make this list. The Philippine Cobra, however, does. It doesn’t even have to bite you to poison you. All it has to do is spit, and it can do that from 3 meters away and still hit you. Paralysis from the venom can cause death within thirty minutes.

10. Saw Scaled Viper

This viper is usually found in the Far East and Middle East, and generally comes out after dark. The main danger with this creature is that the venom is so slow-acting that a victim may make the mistake of waiting too long to seek treatment. Treatment can prevent death in the majority of cases, but without it, death will result slowly and painfully over the course of two to four weeks.

Learn more: science facts for kids

Posted by factoflifeinus