10 Most Venomous Snakes

That the snakes are dangerous for us as they have the tendency to kill humans by injecting their lethal venom is one of the most widely followed myths in the world. There do exist snakes which are highly venomous - some of which deliver a lethal dose of venom which can even kill an adult elephant, but not all of them fall in this category. Of the 2,900 species of snakes inhabiting the planet, only around 600 species are considered venomous. However, it has become a normal human tendency to assume that everything that wriggles, including all those harmless non-venomous snakes are harmful; and hence deserve to be killed.

Venomous Snakes: An Introduction

Venomous snakes are snakes typically characterized by the presence of venom glands - wherein they store their venom, and fangs i.e. a set of teeth specially adapted, which they use to inject this venom in their prey. These snakes use this venom either to immobilize their prey when hunting or to take on predators when it comes to self-defense. Sometimes, venomous snakes are referred to as 'poisonous snakes' which is technically incorrect as venom and poison are two different things. While venom is injected into the tissues or the blood stream, poison is absorbed though the digestive system or the skin. The process wherein a snake injects venom into the body of its prey through its fangs is referred to as envenomation. Of the 600 odd venomous species of snakes on the planet, the Inland Taipan native to Australia is the most venomous. The median lethal dose (which is often used to determine the toxicity of venom) for the venom of this species is 0.025 mg/kg. Even though there do exist some sources which suggest that the most venomous snake in the world is Belcher's sea snake (Hydrophis belcheri), there in not much of evidence to support this claim.

Ten Most Venomous Snakes of the World

King cobra, Western diamondback rattlesnake, Black mamba..... these are the first few names that are likely to come to your mind when we talk about the most venomous snakes. Sadly however, none of them figure in our list of the most venomous. There is no doubt about the fact that these species are quite ferocious or that a significant percent of snakebite deaths in the world are attributed to this species, but in terms of venom toxicity they are overshadowed by the top 10 deadliest snakes in the world enlisted below. (The methodology used to determine this list is provided later in this write-up.)

Rank	Species
1	Name of the species: Inland Taipan Scientific name: Oxyuranus microlepidotus Other names: Small Scaled Snake and Fierce Snake Geographical range: Arid regions of Central Australia LD50: 0.025 Note: Even though it is also referred to as Fierce snake, the Inland Taipan is quite reclusive in nature; the 'fierce' in its name refers to its toxic venom.
2	Name of the species: Eastern brown snake Scientific name: Pseudonaja textilis Other names: Common brown snake Geographical range: Native to Australia LD50: 0.036 Note: Even though the Eastern brown snake has the smallest fangs of all the venomous snakes of Australia, its potent venom makes it the second deadliest after Inland Taipan.
3	Name of the species: Dubois' seasnake Scientific name: Aipysurus duboisii Geographical range: the Coral Sea, Arafura Sea, Timor Sea and Indian Ocean LD50: 0.044 Note: Even the Dubois' seasnake is the third most venomous snake in the world, it holds the numero uno position when it comes to sea snakes.
4	Name of the species: Yellow-bellied sea snake Scientific name: Pelamis platurus Other names: Pelagic Sea Snake Geographical range: Tropical oceanic waters LD50: 0.067 Note: Even though the quantity of venom delivered by the Yellow-bellied sea snake is very low, it is considered to be 10 times more venomous than the Egyptian cobra.
5	Name of the species: Horned sea snake Scientific name: Acalyptophis peronii Other names: Spiny-headed seasnake Geographical range: Off coast Southeast Asia and Australia LD50: 0.079 Note: The fact that this species prefers coral reefs alongside sandy beds makes them a threat for deep-sea divers in this region.
6	Name of the species: Many-banded krait Scientific name: Bungarus multicinctus Other names: Taiwanese banded krait Geographical range: Taiwan, parts of China, Myanmar and Vietnam LD50: 0.108 Note: Renowned American herpetologist Joseph Bruno "Joe" Slowinski died when he was bit by a juvenile Many-banded krait in an isolated region of Myanmar.
7	Name of the species: Black banded sea snake Scientific name: Hydrophis melanosoma Other names: Robust seasnake Geographical range: Off coast Southeast Asia and Australia LD50: 0.111 Note: Yet another member of the Hydrophis genus of sea snakes, it is widely known for its highly toxic venom.
8	Name of the species: Beaked sea snake Scientific name: Enhydrina schistosa Other names: Hook-nosed sea snake and Common sea snake Geographical range: Off coast South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia LD50: 0.112 Note: A Beaked sea snake seldom bites humans, but when it does, a mere 1.5 milligrams of its venom is enough to kill one.
9	Name of the species: Congo water cobra Scientific name: Boulengerina christyi Other names: Christy's Water Cobra Geographical range: Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo LD50: 0.12 Note: Even though the Congo water cobra - along with the Ringed water cobra, is a terrestrial species, their semi-aquatic nature has earned them the name 'water cobras'.
10	Name of the species: Peninsula tiger snake Scientific name: Notechis ater niger Geographical range: Eyre Peninsula and the islands of South Australia LD50: 0.131 Note: This is yet another species which is more of a threat for its highly toxic venom, as compared to the number of snakebites attributed to it.

Most Venomous Snakes: Methodology
In your quest to find out which of the snakes are the most venomous, you are likely to come across several lists - each of which will differ from the other to some extent, and that doesn't really come as a surprise as it is very difficult to come to a consensus on this issue. Numerous factors come into play when determining which are the most venomous snakes in the world, and inadequate data just adds to the woes. Many people argue that the LD₅₀ (mg/kg) count - the dose essential to kill half of the tested population, is not accurate as the results differ in the same species depending on whether the envenomation is subcutaneous, intravenous or intramuscular, and one cannot ignore the fact that it is by far the best method that we have at our disposal today.

Even though the King Cobra and Black Mamba cause larger number of deaths as compared to the Inland Taipan, the latter has far more venom as compared to these two species. The high mortality rate attributed to these species can be traced to their widespread habitat, which increases their chances of encountering humans. The same rule applies when it comes to sea snakes. Though they have an edge over their terrestrial counterparts when it comes to venom toxicity, the fatalities attributed to them are less, as they stay in oceans wherein the chances of their encounter with humans are minimal. At the same time, one also needs to take into consideration that the most aggressive snake in the world does not necessarily have to be the most venomous.

One has to understand that irrespective of whether it is one of these venomous snakes enlisted here or some constrictor species, they don't harm humans unless we cross their path. If snakes and humans are at loggerheads today, it is because we have encroached upon their natural habitat. There is no doubt about the fact that we are much stronger than them, so much so that we can easily take on them and wipe them off the planet. However, we can't ignore the fact that all the snake species on the planet have a crucial role to play when it comes to a balanced ecological system, and harming them is bound to result in detrimental effects on the planet as a whole.