A Herpetologist Reveals The World's Most Venomous Snake--Shockingly, It Has Never Killed Anyone [View all]

Scott Travers
Contributor



Approximately 10% of the world’s snakes have deadly venoms. Australia’s inland taipan may be the most venomous of all.GETTY


It’s a difficult task to rank snakes in terms of their deadliness for a variety of reasons. For one, there are so many species of snakes that can kill you. Of the 4,100 known species of snakes in the world, 800 are in the venomous families Elapidae (cobras and their relatives) and Viperidae (vipers)–and many possess venom that, under certain circumstances, could lead to a human fatality if untreated. Examples of these include the deadly pit vipers of the Americas or the kraits of southern Asia. There are also deadly species in other snake families, including several rear-fanged venomous snakes.

That said, a few species of deadly snakes stand out above the rest. Arguably the most “venomous” snake in the world is the inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), native to Australia’s remote interior. This snake is highly elusive and primarily found in areas with sparse vegetation, such as grasslands, scrublands and semi-deserts. Due to its cryptic nature and remote habitat preferences, sightings of the inland taipan are rare, and encounters with humans are extremely uncommon.

In fact, there have been no recorded human fatalities from inland taipan snake bites. Approximately 11 people people are known to have been bitten by the inland taipan, but they all survived due to the correct administration of antivenom and first aid. Most were professional snake handlers bitten by captive specimens.



The highly venomous inland taipan prefers a desert-like habitat, which is why (thankfully) contact with humans is rare.

More:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scotttravers/2024/06/09/a-herpetologist-reveals-the-worlds-most-venomous-snake-shockingly-it-has-never-killed-anyone/