List of the most dangerous snakes in Asia. The most poisonous snakes. occupies place, lives in South and Southeast Asia

Millions of people are afraid of snakes, and it is no coincidence that this type of reptile can not only injure, but also kill. Many species have poison that can cause harm to the human body. It belongs to the LD50 substances, which cause the death of every second person. Who are the most dangerous snakes in the world? Where do they live? How do they look? What do they eat?

We suggest you consider the most dangerous reptiles, taking into account the semi-lethal dose of the toxic substance (LD50).

Top 10 most dangerous snakes in the world

10th place – Philippine Cobra

The LD50 of this individual is 0.2 mg/kg. The reptile has the most toxic venom of all cobra families. Despite its attractive, majestic appearance, beautiful golden-copper skin tone, it is better to avoid it and not catch its eye. A representative of the Aspid family, in defense, secretes poisonous saliva and spits it, which is dangerous for humans, not to mention a snake bite. It shoots poison at a distance of up to 3 meters and can get into the eyes. Once in the human body, it causes dizziness and headaches, severe bouts of diarrhea, abdominal pain, after which it can affect the nervous and cardiac systems if medical help does not arrive in time.

The reptile feeds on small animals, as well as lizards. Its habitats are wooded areas, lowlands, dense jungles, thickets near the river, meadows and fields. Many representatives of this family live in the tropics. The Philippine Cobra can even be seen near human settlements and agricultural lands.

Adults reach 1 m, less often 1.5-2 m.

9th place – Harlequin coral adder

The LD50 of this individual is 0.196 mg/kg. Individuals live in Northern and Central America. They can be seen in Mexico and American states Kentucky and Indiana. Adult reptiles reach 1-1.5 meters.

The color of this reptile cannot be confused with other representatives of snakes - their skin is covered with rings of black, red and bright yellow (coral) colors.

Individuals crawl out to hunt at night. They catch mice, lizards, and small birds.

Exactly from sand snake Hundreds of people die every year. In general, she is afraid of people, but if she feels threatened, she will immediately attack. Just 5 mg of poison – and the person is immobilized. It is possible to help him in rare cases. The toxic substance penetrates with lightning speed. That is why in the countries where this viper lives, it is nicknamed “wound”, “boiling snake”.

5th place – Black Tiger snake

Compared to the classic Tiger, this species of snake has an LD50 of 0.131 mg/kg, which makes it more dangerous than the aforementioned representative of the same family.

Adults reach 1 meter in length. Skin color is dark brown, chocolate or black interspersed with olive or light brown shades. Asps live in the southwestern and southern parts of Australia, on the islands of Bass Strait and Tasmania. For life and reproduction, they choose sandy terrain (dunes and beaches), rocky surfaces without vegetation. They feed on frogs, small mammals, fish and even. Cannibalism occurs in this family.

A person should avoid meeting the Black Tiger Snake as it is very dangerous. In a split second, she pounces on her victim and pierces with her sharpest fangs. Severe pain and burning appears at the site of the bite, after which the poison begins to affect the entire body, causing nervous paralysis, followed by respiratory arrest and death. There is an antidote - it is being developed on the basis of snake venom, the main thing is to help the person in the next few minutes.

4th place – South China multi-banded krait

The LD50 of this predator is 0.108 mg/kg. This snake is one of the most insidious and poisonous species. Belongs to land reptile species. The aspid family can be found in Asian countries: Taiwan, Laos, southern China, Thailand, Northern part Vietnam, Myanmar. It chooses rocky and mountainous areas for habitat, rising up to 1500 meters above sea level.

The color of the snakes is black with light thin stripes. The length of adults varies from 1 to 1.5 meters, males can reach 1.8 meters.

Reptiles are dangerous and aggressive. They mainly hunt at night. Predators feed on small lizards, mice and birds.

Unlike other snakes, they are not afraid of humans, so it is better not to meet them. This type of adder can pursue its prey for a long time, after which it attacks it. Krayt has a nerve poison that can kill in just 2 hours.

3rd place – Coastal Taipan

The coastal Taipan reveals the top three most dangerous and aggressive snakes on the planet. Their LD50 is 0.106 mg/kg. They are also one of the longest reptiles - their length can exceed 3 meters.

Taipans are found in the northern and northeastern parts of Australia and the southeastern part of New Guinea. Unlike many other snakes, these predators prefer daytime hunting. They feed on rats and mice, small mammals, and frogs. Snakes often creep up to human settlements and attack local residents, their livestock and pets.

Taipan - externally beautiful view asps, but very insidious, so you should stay away from him, as he is not afraid of anyone. The reptile has a uniform skin tone of light brown or dark brown. There are reddish species. The head is usually lighter than the belly, which can be yellowish or white.

If Taipan sees a stranger, it raises its head, after which it can pursue its prey. He attacks with lightning speed and can pierce with his sharp teeth several times in a row. Every second person dies from neurotoxic poison. First, the person suffocates, then hemorrhages occur. Death occurs within 4 hours after the bite.

2nd place – Eastern, or Reticulated brown snake

Few people know about this species, but this particular asp is one of the most dangerous in terms of its poison content. Its LD50 is 0.037 mg/kg.

Eastern brown snakes come in a variety of colors: brown, tan, black, orange, silver, and gray. The body length of adult individuals ranges from 1 to 2 meters.

Predators live on east coast Australia, New Guinea. They choose eucalyptus forests to live, sandy beaches, rocky terrain, mountainous heath. They feed mainly on frogs, mice and small birds.

The main danger is that they can creep up to people's houses. If the snake feels threatened, it immediately attacks. Its venom has a neurotoxic effect and contains blood coagulants. After a bite, a person feels severe dizziness, loss of strength, severe diarrhea, and begins to have convulsions. If resistance is not given in time, his kidneys will fail, after which his heart will stop.

1st place – McCoy's Taipan

McCoy is a snake with the maximum concentration of venom. Its LD50 is 0.025 mg/kg. Just one bite and a person is doomed to painful death. This is the family more poisonous than cobras 50 times.

Predators live in Australia and New Guinea. They prefer plains, deserts, and hide in soil faults.

The color of the snakes is straw, brown or dark brown. The length of an adult reaches an average of 2 meters. They feed on small mammals.

Under no circumstances should you approach McCoy, otherwise she will attack. Its poison is extremely toxic, it almost instantly disrupts blood clotting, causes paralysis, after which breathing stops. Fortunately, there is an antidote for the poison of this predator; the main thing is to contact a medical service in time.

McCoy's taipan is also called the "hard snake".

These are the most dangerous and poisonous snakes existing on planet Earth.

Snakes are one of the most amazing animals that evolved from lizards and have lived on Earth for more than 165 million years. Reptiles inhabit almost all continents, living on land and in aquatic environment. Today, more than 3,600 species have been registered, of which about 25% are poisonous. For most people, only the appearance of these reptiles evokes strong emotions.

And if some are fascinated by the mystery and stunning elegance manifested in every serpentine movement, then only the name makes others panicky. But the fear of reptiles, unlike other phobias, has very significant justifications, since an encounter with a poisonous snake can lead to serious consequences. Every year, more than 2 million people suffer from snakebites, of whom about 10% die, and another 10% lose their bitten limbs and remain disabled.

Perfect Killers

The main weapon of poisonous snakes is back-curved, large and sharp venom-conducting teeth, which have a special groove or internal channel through which the poison enters the wound. The composition of snake venom of different types of reptiles is not the same, but in any case it has a negative effect on the human body, causing severe allergic reactions and intoxication, affecting tissues and internal organs.

In addition, these reptiles are excellent at camouflage, move silently, swim well and easily penetrate hard-to-reach places, which makes them ideal killing machines. Although, for the sake of fairness, it is worth noting that reptiles primarily use poison for hunting, and not for self-defense. Aggression towards humans, as a rule, is shown only in response to provocations and when protecting offspring. What are the most poisonous snakes that you should avoid?

Poisonous reptiles of Russia

In Russia, the most common is the common viper. She lives in wild forests and steppes, in swamps and near rivers, including in the northern regions of the country, as it loves lower temperatures than its relatives. It is a relatively small reptile with a flat, triangular head that resembles an arrowhead. The reptile's evil and frightening appearance is given by unusual vertical pupils with supraorbital shields hanging over them. The color can be very diverse from grayish to coal black. Along the back, a clearly defined zigzag pattern stands out against the main background.

When meeting people, the viper usually freezes or begins to quickly crawl away, never attacking first. She shows aggression only when someone steps on her, tries to grab her, or starts to chase her. Its bite is potentially dangerous, but rarely leads to death. It’s just that the viper spends a lot of energy and effort to produce poison, so it injects it into its prey or enemy very sparingly. As a result, human mortality is no more than 1%, and in 70% of cases, symptoms from a bite disappear within a couple of days, although it’s definitely not worth taking the risk.

The list of the most poisonous snakes found in the Russian Federation also includes rattlers.

Representatives of this species, unlike vipers, have a special sensory organ - a thermolocator, thanks to which they detect even minor fluctuations in air temperatures. This “device” allows you to successfully hunt warm-blooded animals, including at night. When danger arises, rattlers take a threatening position and begin to dynamically shake the tip of their tail with a rattle, which is old skin that remains after molting. Dried horny sheaths produce a characteristic cracking sound when vibrating. By the way, rattlesnake venom is used in medicine to prepare a number of drugs and vaccines.

Poisonous and dangerous land snakes

In terms of poisonousness, the second place is occupied by the eastern (reticulated) brown snake, which lives in the eastern part of Australia, as well as in Indonesia. The color, despite the name, can be very diverse from light yellow to gray and black. The reptile inhabits not only eucalyptus forests and wild steppes, but also occurs on farmland, which is associated with a considerable number of deaths. When meeting a person, the individual does not run away, but aggressively raises its head, bends in an S-shape and immediately attacks. The victim can lose the creature in just a couple of minutes. If first aid is not provided in a timely manner and antivenin is not administered to relieve the consequences of intoxication, even death.

McCoy's Taipan or, as they are also called, cruel snake- a representative of the asp family. This large reptile, up to 2-2.5 m long, lives mainly in the deserts of central Australia. Body color can vary from light yellow to dark brown, and the color depends on the season of the year.

The taipan's bite is the most dangerous among the venomous snakes that live on Earth's land. The venom has a neurotoxic effect on the body, so there is usually no redness or swelling at the site of the bite, but neurotoxins quickly affect nervous system, stopping neuromuscular transmission. Death occurs in 8 hours or less from paralysis of the respiratory center. A dose of 44 mg is enough to kill 250 thousand rodents and kill a hundred people, and the semi-lethal dose (0.01 mg/kg) is almost 200 times stronger than poison other members of the family, for example, cobras. Fortunately, in the mid-50s. last century, an antidote was developed for snake venom. Before this, the chances of surviving a bite were less than 10%.

Cases of attacks by inland taipans are primarily associated with careless behavior of people. Their main diet consists of small animals, and the reptiles try not to meet humans, unlike the large, fast, very aggressive and also poisonous coastal taipans. These reptiles also live in Australia and lead a diurnal lifestyle, hunting rodents near human settlements. When meeting a person, such a taipan does not run away, but, on the contrary, rises and shakes its head, and then attacks with lightning speed and hits the enemy several times in a row.

Despite the invention of an antidote, even today every 2nd person bitten dies from the venom of this species of taipan, especially in places where they are widely inhabited.

Poisonous snakes of the water area

The most poisonous snakes on our planet live not only on the surface, but also in the coastal waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Sea creepers have a length of 1.2 to 2.75 m, and the body ends with a tail that is strongly flattened laterally. Sea reptiles with anatomical point vision is very different from its terrestrial relatives. Despite the lack of gills, reptiles do not suffocate underwater. The large right lung acts as a hydrostatic organ, and the nostrils have closing valves. Moreover, reptiles can even breathe underwater, absorbing dissolved oxygen through the oral mucosa.

Marine species have strong, highly toxic poisons. This is due to the fact that their diet consists mainly of cold-blooded aquatic animals, which, in comparison with warm-blooded ones, are more resistant to the effects of toxic substances. But my powerful weapon marine species are used mainly for hunting and, if you do not provoke a predator, it is unlikely to bite. Otherwise, a lightning attack will follow. A bite can cause severe consequences, and in some cases death. The Dubois sea snake is considered the most poisonous.

The largest snake

King cobra is the largest poisonous snake, whose body length can reach 5 meters or more. Back in 1937, an individual 5 m 71 cm long was caught, which was subsequently kept for a long time in the London Zoo.

Cobras grow throughout their lives, which is 30 years or more. They mainly live in the tropics of Asia. Before attacking the enemy, these snakes raise their heads vertically to a third of the front part of the body, expand the cervical ribs, forming a hood, loudly make characteristic barking sounds with the help of respiratory movements, make a warning throw and a “idle bite”, trying to scare away.

Cobras are usually very patient and can control the flow of venom, trying not to waste it. At the same time, 7 ml of poison is enough for an adult to die within 15 minutes. When meeting a cobra, you need to sit down at the level of its head and freeze so that it does not see the danger and calmly crawls away.

The most dangerous representative of the true cobra genus is the Philippine cobra, since its venom is very toxic, and the lethal dose is only 0.2 ml/kg. In addition, Philippine cobras are capable of shooting poison into the eyes of their opponent from a distance of 3 meters.

Where are the most snakes found on the planet?

The inhabitants of Africa share their continent with four hundred species of snakes, including the most poisonous in the world. For comparison, in Australia there are twice as many reptiles. At the same time, the highest mortality rate from snakebites is recorded in India, where more than 50 thousand people die per year.

The top 15 most poisonous snakes in the world is a list of poisonous reptiles, an encounter with which most often ends in death for humans. Our ancestors worshiped snakes as powerful deities, and were horrified by their appearance, like lethal weapons, which can both heal and kill. They became a symbol of wisdom and deceit. There are more than 2,500 species of snakes on our planet, most of which secrete venom.

Not only reptiles, but also some plants and insects have poisonous properties. There are especially many of them in those climatic zones, in which nature still remains lush and unknown. These are the so-called exotic countries, where danger awaits tourists at every step. Therefore, it is important for a traveler to know which are deadly dangerous creatures live there so that when meeting them, exercise maximum caution. This article will help the reader figure out which snakes are best avoided on a long journey.

15th place – Sandy efa

Vipers are one of the most common families of reptiles, and the sand ephas also belongs to them. This is a fairly small snake, barely exceeding 60 cm in size. It is easily recognized by its side stripe in the form of a light zigzag, as well as white spots that are found on the head and back. Sandy efa is covered with small, somewhat ribbed scales. On the surface of the earth it moves as if sideways, that is, initially the snake throws its head to the side, after which the rear body is moved sideways, and only after that the front one. Because of this, the sand efu is quite easy to recognize by the traces it leaves - oblique strips with hooks at the ends. Its habitat includes most of North America, Turkmenistan, India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

Behavior sand f-hole not aggressive, she avoids meeting people, and prefers to calmly crawl away to her shelter. It is easy to spot on the soil or in dry grass by the whitish spots on its back. Most often, the snake warns the unwary traveler with a slight rustling sound that it is somewhere nearby. Fatal bites most often occurred due to the negligence of the person himself, who wanted to pick her up or accidentally stepped on her. The venom is toxic and causes profuse bleeding, both at the bite site and in weakened areas such as the nose or mouth. Every fourth person bitten by ephas dies. If you have an antidote at hand, the toxin can be sucked out by mouth; it will be absolutely safe for the rescuer.

14th place – Ruzel’s Viper

This snake lives in Sri Lanka. Its poison is not a potent toxin of animal origin. However, the danger for tourists is that there is simply no antidote for the poison secreted by the Ruzel viper in Sri Lanka, which leads to a large number of deaths. You can recognize it by its widened nostrils, which makes the snake’s hiss even louder and more threatening. The color of this representative of reptiles is unusually beautiful: the entire back is covered with red spots in three rows, which are edged with narrow stripes. Most often, the spots are fused together, resulting in an original-looking chain.

13th place – Black echidna

Local residents simply call this snake “black death.” Its coloring is truly extremely shocking: absolutely black scales and a bright red belly. It is one of the largest, about 2.5 meters, and at the same time poisonous snakes. Its daily diet includes rodents and various amphibians. The bite of the black echidna is fatal if the person is not provided with an antidote in time. The Black Death spread throughout Australia, with the exception of Tasmania. Every year he dies from its poison a large number of sheep and cattle cattle, however in Lately, as a result of the destruction and development of industry, the number of these snakes has decreased significantly.

However, if a person is nevertheless bitten by a black echidna, then slight pain will be felt at the site of the bite, and later swelling will appear in the affected area. If the antidote is not administered in time, the following symptoms will be: severe vomiting, possibly with blood, difficulty breathing, drowsiness, dizziness, diarrhea. However, without catatonia or seizures.

12th place – Bushmaster

The habitat of the bushmaster includes some countries South America: Brazil, Panama Islands, Trinidad and Guyana. Individuals of this species are distinguished by their large size (more than 3 m) and body width, but the most important feature is the head in the form of a triangle. Local residents claim that this snake is extremely aggressive and always attacks to the last, trying to bite a person as many times as possible. The toxins released by the bushmaster are very poisonous; even the bite of a young snake is enough to cause death.

Local residents have bloodthirsty legends in which the bushmaster also appears; he can crawl to women under the cover of darkness and suck out their milk and blood. Travelers are also in danger from this snake, since the legends of the tribes of the places where this reptile lives say that the bushmaster first hypnotizes and then lures a person into his lair, where he devours him. However, no legends prevent the same Indians from successfully using the poison of this land reptile for medicinal purposes. This is such a paradox.

11th place – Tiger snake

Prefers to settle in meadows and steppe zone, less often in forests. The habitat is not very wide, it includes only the southern and eastern part Australia. The maximum body length of a tiger snake is 2 m. It is of particular interest to naturalists, since it does not lay eggs, but immediately gives birth to small snakes (more than 25 individuals). The coloring resembles the skin of a tiger, hence the name tiger snake. Its diet consists of amphibians and small rodents. If a tiger snake bites a small animal, it dies on the spot, its venom is so strong. For humans, the danger is no less; if you do not take the antidote within 24 hours, the probability of death is more than 96%.

Naturalists share their observations that this type reptiles are equipped with a pair of poisonous fangs with special grooves. In other snakes, the teeth are closed in the form of hollow tubes, but in a tiger snake everything is completely different - around the gland that produces poison, there is a muscle that, when contracted, squeezes the poison out, like a spring, straight into the body of the victim. Having reached the center of innervation, the toxin actively affects the heart and lungs, which shut down without an antidote, which leads to death.

Local residents claim that this snake, although dangerous, is also quite cowardly. She is not attracted to crowded places, and prefers to live away from highways and big cities. However, tourists should stay as far away from it as possible, since one portion of its poison can kill about 200 people.

10th place – Viper

The viper family is one of the largest among snakes, for this reason they should be described separately, moreover, they are most often found in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. These include: common viper, steppe viper and Nikolsky's viper. Their favorite places traditionally include wetlands, the banks of ponds and lakes, mixed forests and mountainous areas with high humidity air. The viper prefers to go hunting at night, which significantly reduces encounters with it in daytime. However, there are often cases when a snake crawls out onto a stump or mossy stone to bask in the rays of the sun, where tourists meet it. Vipers are no different aggressive behavior, so when they see a person they try to hide.

Symptoms of a viper bite are the following: sharp pain at the site of the immediate bite, which decreases over time arterial pressure, and then the heart rate. Parallel internal processes Externally, the bite is accompanied by: nausea, aching bones and joints, gag reflexes and nosebleeds. If the victim is not given an antidote within 14 days, death occurs, mostly due to cardiac or respiratory failure, or due to infection of the circulatory system. However, big chance survive without taking medication, but it’s better to be safe.

9th place – Rattlesnake

Habitat rattlesnake limited North America. Her favorite places to select housing, it must be dry; most often it settles in the burrows of small rodents and birds. A distinctive feature of this representative of reptiles is the rattle at the end of the tail, which crackles as the snake moves. Thus, she warns of her appearance. To a tourist who heard a characteristic cracking sound emitted rattlesnake– you need to get away, although this individual tries to avoid humans whenever possible, biting only in the most extreme danger.

Adult snakes are characterized by the ability to hide and camouflage perfectly, which cannot be said about their young offspring, who pose a particular danger. Firstly, they have not yet learned to avoid people, and secondly, they have absolutely no control over the amount of poison released during an attack. The strong coagulant contained in the toxin leads, in most cases, to complete or partial paralysis of the body, which occurs simultaneously with interruptions in blood circulation. An antidote does not provide a complete guarantee of healing, but it increases the chance of survival.

8th place – Philippine cobra

The name of this snake is strongly associated with its habitat - the Philippine Islands. This cobra is the most poisonous in its family. One good thing is that you can meet her only in remote, abandoned places or impenetrable jungles. It is distinguished by aggressive behavior, and attacks the violator of its peace without delay, while spitting poison no less than 2.5 m. Naturalists warn that such spitting very rarely misses the target, so stay away from the Philippine cobra when you meet , you need to go as far as possible.

The snake's venom is highly neurotoxic, and begins to act as soon as even one drop hits open skin. Instantly, the victim begins to feel dizzy, the rhythm of the heart and lungs become difficult, and later a severe headache, diarrhea and cramps begin. A fatal outcome, if immediate medical attention is not provided, occurs within 15-20 minutes. 0.15 mg of venom from cobras is capable of killing an adult.

7th place – Malayan region

Another name for this snake is blue krait. It was first discovered in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The snake is quite small, not even 1 m in length. It has a beautiful appearance - blue scales with evenly distributed black zigzag stripes. It prefers to hunt at night, is not particularly hot-tempered and avoids humans, but cases of bite and fatal outcome do occur.

Krayt venom is very dangerous; it causes uncontrollable spasms of the limbs, which over time turn into complete paralysis of the entire body. Scientists have calculated that the neurotoxin in cobra venom is 15 times weaker than the venom of the Malayan krait. Moreover, the situation is aggravated by the fact that in 45% of cases the antidote is absolutely useless for this snake bite. Death occurs within 5-10 hours.

6th place – Australian Spinetail

Based on the name of this snake, you can understand where exactly it lives. But its range is not limited only to the mainland, but also includes New Guinea. The length of the snake reaches about 60-70 cm. The coloring is somewhat reminiscent of the abdomen of a wasp - yellow lines alternate with black ones. The spiketail is distinguished by its bloodthirstiness, as it is not averse to feasting on other snakes, while not refusing mice or small amphibians. It rarely attacks people, but if you wander into its territory, it becomes quite aggressive.

The name reptiles received as a result of the fact that it has a horny spike in the tail. If the antidote is not administered within 5 hours, the bite can be fatal.

5th place – Blue coral snake

This snake demonstrates with all its appearance: “don’t touch me.” The blue snake is easily identified by the purple coloring of its head and bluish zigzags throughout the body. Habitat: Southeast Asia. Scientists note that the snake is not aggressive, and when it sees a person it prefers to hide rather than attack, however, there have been accidents when a tourist stepped on a coral snake, and the snake bit it in self-defense.

The venom of this representative of snakes has unique properties, and when it gets into circulatory system can cause complete and partial dysfunction of all physiological systems body. Most often, the bitten person immediately falls into catatonia, that is, virtually immobilized. After this, uncontrollable convulsions begin. In many ways, naturalists explain this effect of the poison by the fact that the blue snake often hunts other poisonous snakes, and for this it is necessary to have impressive qualities of its own poison. The gland that secretes the neurotoxin occupies about a quarter of the snake's body.

Poisons of such toxicity can only be boasted by deadly spiders and scorpions, as well as some deep-sea gastropods. No matter how strange it may sound, the toxins secreted by the blue snake are actively used in pharmaceuticals, and effective painkillers are developed on their basis.

4th place – Indian cobra

This snake is known to many from the cartoon “Riki-tiki-tavi”, where the brave mongoose fights with it, protecting its owners. Sometimes this cobra is also called spectacled snake, due to the fact that at the moment of danger she inflates her hood threateningly, on which there appear to be two eyes. Habitat includes India, Philippine Islands, southern part China and Central Asia. Indian cobra It is dangerous for humans because it is not particularly demanding of its place of residence, so it can be found both in gardens and orchards, as well as in ordinary parks or orchards.

Many deaths from the venom of this cobra are due to the fact that it is not averse to settling in close proximity to humans. So in Indian villages there are frequent cases of bites right in chicken coops, where the snake crawls to feast on fresh eggs. Its poison is extremely toxic, and begins to act immediately after entering the body. The bitten area swells and after a while becomes paralyzed. The next stage is complete paralysis, frequent heartbeats, and breathing problems. The victim is unable to sit or stand without assistance, sometimes uncontrolled salivation begins, and the body temperature rises significantly. The occurrence of death largely depends on the timeliness of medical care, as well as the person’s build and the amount of poison that got inside. On average, death occurs within 5-10 hours, less often within 24 hours.

3rd place – Black Mamba

One of the most poisonous and deadly snakes on the entire planet is the black mamba, which is found exclusively in Africa. Black adjacent scales completely cover the body of this reptile, so it is quite easy for it to hide in the shadows of the jungle to wait for its prey. The character of this snake is warlike and aggressive; it attacks without hesitation the disturber of its peace, trying to bite him as many times as possible (10 consecutive bites are possible), and one dose of poison is enough to kill about 20 people at a time. It is difficult to escape from her, as she crawls at a speed of 18 km per hour. Seeing its prey, the mamba begins to chase it with all its might. the main objective– destroy or eat. Few people can boast of meeting this snake, because few people left alive after such a meeting. The aggressiveness of the snake is played out in cinema and literature, where it has become a symbol of senseless and causeless aggression combined with absolute mercilessness and lethality.

The poison of the black mamba, which is the strongest in the world and causes irreversible destruction only when it gets on the victim’s skin, deserves special mention. Then the victim gets even worse: aching bones and joints, foam at the mouth, perspiration, dizziness. After a short period of time, this is accompanied by vomiting, breathing problems and convulsions. On last stage– interruptions in the functioning of the heart and lungs, catatonia and the end. If you do not immediately administer an antidote to the bite victim, death occurs in 20-30 minutes.

2nd place – Australian Taipan

Among local population The taipan received the telling name of the “cruel snake.” It lives mainly in the central part of Australia. The Australian taipan looks majestic, its scales are light brown, so in the conditions of the Australian prairies it is easy to miss. Scientists have recognized the toxin it produces as one of the most poisonous in the world. However, there is good news, firstly, the “cruel snake” avoids the company of people, and secondly, it is extremely difficult to meet him, since he prefers to settle in places where no human has ever set foot. In such quiet and secluded parts of Australia, he calmly breeds his offspring and hunts small rodents and birds.

An interesting fact is that according to official data, not a single person has yet died from the poison of this land reptile. However, the neurotoxin in the deadly substance released by the taipan is quite enough to kill about 90 people. Its venom is 45 times stronger than that of a cobra and 8 times more powerful than that of a rattlesnake. If tourists are “lucky enough” to encounter this reptile, it is better to tactfully leave so as not to play with their own death.

1st place - Belcher's Sea Serpent

The first place among the most dangerous and poisonous snakes on our planet deservedly goes to the Belcher's sea snake, which is named after its discoverer E. Belcher. The reptile lives exclusively at great depths in the Indian Ocean. The sea serpent is very beautiful; its scales are formed by alternating black and soft blue stripes. However, one should not be deceived by its attractive appearance, since the toxicity of its poison is so great that one serving can kill about 900 people. Oddly enough, his behavior is quite good-natured, and he never attacks people. Recorded cases of death are associated with the fact that some tourists, in their stupidity, decided to hold it in their arms, as well as in cases with fishermen who, while catching fish with nets, simply did not notice that a deadly snake also got there along with it. But even in these cases, Belcher's sea snake carries out a so-called “dry bite”, without releasing venom. Such an attack is intended to scare away, but not to kill.

Philippine cobra
(Naja philippinensis)

Family Elapidae
Genus True cobras (Naja)
Size: about 1 meter, sometimes up to 1.5 m.
Degree of toxicity: the venom of this species is the most toxic of all cobras.

The Philippine cobra (Naja philippinensis) is a venomous snake from the genus of cobras that was first described in 1922 by the American herpetologist Edward Harrison Taylor. From the name of the snake it is not at all difficult to guess the area where it lives. This cobra is found mainly on the northern islands of the Philippine archipelago: Luzon, Mindoro, Catadaunes and Masbate. It is believed that reptiles can also be found on neighboring islands, but there is no confirmation of this data yet.
Appearance The Philippine cobra is nothing short of impressive: it is a small, beautiful and majestic snake. On average, adult individuals reach a meter in length, but individual specimens can grow up to one and a half meters. Residents of the island of Mindoro talk about two-meter cobras, but if such “giants” exist in nature, then such a value would be the absolute maximum for this species. In appearance, this snake resembles its fellow countryman - the Peters cobra. They both have an elliptical head, weakly separated from the body, as well as a short and rounded muzzle. The cobra is quite well built and has a light or darkish brown color.
The habitats of this reptile are very diverse. The Philippine cobra lives in forested areas, lowlands, grasslands, dense jungles, agricultural fields and near human settlements. This species loves water very much and therefore can be found in close proximity to rivers, ponds and large puddles.
The Philippine cobra hunts small mammals, frogs and other snakes. The cobra's main food is mice and rats, but it can also feast on lizards, eggs, chicks and even young king cobras. But the predator itself often becomes prey for predators such as mongooses, birds of prey, adults king cobras and people. Besides, large rodents can cause serious wounds to a young cobra during a fight. However, this is very rare.
The main weapon of the Philippine cobra is venom. A precious liquid composed of neurotoxins that attacks the victim's nervous system and heart without damaging soft tissue and causes respiratory paralysis. The snake is also capable of shooting poison into the enemy's eyes at a distance of up to 3 meters. Symptoms of a bite include headache, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain and vomiting. In 1988, a study was conducted on the consequences of bites from this cobra. Of the 39 victims, 38 had severe neurotoxicity as the main clinical cause, 19 experienced rapid respiratory paralysis, 2 died, 3 developed necrosis, 14 had general symptoms no swelling in the bitten area. Death after a bite occurs in less than 3 hours. In 2007, a boy was bitten by a cobra in Mindao. He died 20 minutes later without receiving the medicine. The venom of this species is the most toxic of all cobras. The lethal dose is: 0.20 milligrams of poison per kilogram of human weight. When bitten, the Philippine cobra can release up to 250 mg of venom.