Most Aggressive Snake

At the mere mention of snakes, we picturize them to be scary, crawling creatures. There are non-poisonous snakes as well which do little harm to us. Nevertheless, some snake species are deadly poisonous, their bites are life-threatening to humans and pets. As per estimation, approximately 1 - 2 million snakebite cases are reported every year, of which 50,000 - 100,000 result in fatalities. But of all the different types of snakes, which is the most aggressive one? Scroll down to find your answer.

Most Aggressive Snake in the World

Identifying the world's most aggressive snake is quite challenging, as the criteria for classifications are so many. In simpler terms, not all fierce snakes are dangerous, while all venomous snakes are not so aggressive. Also, the severity of snakebites is based on the age and overall health of the person (not to overlook the size and age of the snake). Thus, several factors are taken into consideration.

One of the most aggressive and deadliest snakes in the world is the black mamba (scientific name, Dendroaspis polylepis), which is indigenous to Africa. The attributes characteristic to black mamba, making it the most aggressive snake are its large size (in fact, second longest in the world after king cobra), highly poisonous (venom contains dendrotoxin), fast-moving and ferocious attacks. With a recorded crawling speed of 4.5 - 5.5 meter per second, it is relegated as the fastest moving snake in the world.

Named after its black mouth parts, the black mamba grows to a length of about 14 feet and weighs 1.6 kg at maturity. This deadly African snake is gray, brown or olive in color and lives in woodland, savannah, swamps, rocky habitat and dense forests. When threatened, it spreads its neck flap, exposes its black mouth and hisses with a prominent sound. If it fails to scare away the attackers, then only the black mamba injects venom (100 - 400 mg) and tries to flee. It hunts for chickens, bats, birds, rats and galagos.

Aggressive Snakes in Different Continents

Another short-tempered, extremely temperamental and super aggressive snake is the small-sized carpet viper. With reference to the data concerning snakebite related fatalities, this snake has killed more people than any other type of snake. More information on the most venomous snakes in the world according to their native places is highlighted below.

North America: The most poisonous water snake in North America is the cottonmouth snake (Agkistrodon piscivorus). Other venomous snakes sharing the same area are rattlesnake, coral head and copperhead types.

in Africa: Africa, the land of high biodiversity, is a home for many aggressive snakes. In addition to the black mamba, other dangerous snakes are boomslang, puff adder, gaboon vipera and forest cobra. You can refer to types of snake with pictures for detailed information.

Asia: The longest snake in the world, king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is native to Asia. It is one of the most feared and aggressive snakes. When teased, the head portion remains elevated from the ground and the neck flap expands to scare away its attackers.

Australia: Indigenous to eastern parts of the Australian continent, the inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) is considered the most poisonous land snake species. The venom released from a single bite is sufficient to kill as many as 100 human adults.

Europe: The most dangerous and aggressive snakes in Europe are believed to be those belonging to the viper genus (Vipera sp.). The bites by European vipers are rarely fatal, provided that immediate treatment is done. However, untreated viper bites are fatal.

The debate over the most aggressive snake still continues. While some people claim it is the African black mamba, others do not support the answer. You can refer to the 'danger quotient' assigned in numerical values to identify the most venomous snake types of a particular area.