Most Bizarre and Scary Snakes in the World

Snakes, undisputedly, have the reputation of being scary. But these scaly and elongated creatures have also been the objects of fascination for many centuries and are a part of many legends and mythologies. Here are some of the more interesting facts about snakes that you need to know!

The Philippine cobra is native to the northern region in the Philippines. This snake is notorious for lethal venom. A person bitten by this snake suffers neurotoxicity and respiratory paralysis, usually followed by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains and diarrhea. If not addressed immediately, the victim can die about 30 minutes after being bitten.

Russell’s viper is another deadly snake to avoid. Unfortunately, among its favorite places is your home because it is an abundant source of this snake’s favorite meal: rodents. A bite from this snake will cause necrosis (death of cell tissue), excessive bleeding, pains, vomiting and swelling. It is more common in India, Thailand and Burma — in Burma, viper is accounted of 90% of snake deaths.

Yes, some species of snakes do live in the sea! In fact, a sea snake is among the most venomous snakes on the planet! This hook-nosed, aggressive snake possesses a venom that is purportedly eight times as poisonous as a cobra’s! It uses venom mostly to incapacitate its prey.

The inland taipan

The inland taipan, native to Australia, is considered as one of the deadliest land snakes of the planet. A single bite from this snake is capable of killing a hundred people! This is due to its neurotoxin venom, which paralyzes the nervous system quickly and severely and clots the blood. Fortunately, the inland taipan is generally shy and will mostly hide itself in deep crevices.

The coastal taipan is the biggest snake in Australia, and also considered one of the most deadly. Unlike the inland taipan, the coastal taipan would aggressively attack when cornered.

Tiger rattlesnakes are considered the most poisonous rattlesnake. It is native to southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Highly venomous, tiger rattlesnakes cause paralysis in the nervous system, as well as necrosis.

Tiger snakes are also among the most venomous snakes in the world. The venom from a tiger snake’s bite causes paralysis in the nervous system and blood clotting, among other effects. Victims bitten by the tiger snakes suffer localized pain, numbness and sweating, followed by difficulty in breathing and paralysis.

Anaconda, like other big snakes, lacks venom. Nevertheless, it is considered one of the deadliest and most fearsome snakes of the world because of its sheer size. It kills larger animals, and even humans, by either swallowing them whole or by crushing them through constriction. Although slow, it kills its prey through ambush.

The Barbados threadsnake is considered the world’s smallest snake, averaging a length of about 10 centimeters. They belong to a family of blind threadsnakes who live on ants and termites.

The black mamba is one of the most fearsome snakes in the world. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, black mambas are not only one of the most poisonous, but it is also the fastest-moving snakes ever. It can deliver a rapid succession of bites in one single attack! Its venom mostly consists of neurotoxins, as well as cardiotoxins and other forms of toxin. If gone untreated, a victim bitten by the black mamba can die within hours.

This vividly green snake has some distinct features. One of them is its fangs where the venom is extracted — they are located at the rear of its jaw rather than at the front. While venoms from other snakes cause coagulation (blood clotting), the boomslang’s venom otherwise destroys the coagulation process that causes excessive internal and external hemorrhage — yes, that’s non-stop bleeding inside and out of your body. The boomslang’s venom mostly consists of hemotoxin.

common krait

The common krait is native to South Asia. This breed is largely responsible for the common snake bites in India. During the day the snake seems docile, but its behavior may change at night — it may attack people in their sleep and they may not even realize it! Its bite has little or no pain, but the venom will take effect over time. The victim will mostly end up dying of respiratory failure within a few hours.

Death adders are one of the most deadly snakes in the world, and also one of the fastest strikers. A single attack from this snake may yield 180 mg of venom, which is mostly composed of neurotoxins which cause paralysis in the nervous tissues.

The desert horned viper is easily recognizable through its “horns,” which are actually modified scales which can retract. Although its venom is not as toxic as the other snakes’, it can still cause pain, nausea and necrosis.

The eastern brown snake is native to Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It is the considered the second deadliest land snake in the world because of its extremely potent venom. Even an ounce of it entering a person’s body will be enough to make it fatal.

flying snake

Well, not really “fly,” but the snake can glide in great distances by leaping from the tree branches. While in the air, it expands its ribs and suck in their stomachs to make it appear wider and more concave.

A flying snake has rear fangs instead of the front ones which are common in other snakes. Its venom is only mild.

This curious-looking arboreal snake is endemic to Madagascar. Its strange long snout is believed to serve as a camouflage. Males have a long and pointed snout, while females have a flattened, leaf-shaped snout. The leaf-nosed snake’s venom causes severe pain in humans, but is not otherwise deadly.