World's Deadliest Snakes

Have you ever wondered what the world's most deadly snake is? We asked ourselves the same question. In fact, in our travels we have wondered this many times. Its not such an easy question either. If you watch the crocodile hunter you will hear one thing, if you watch Austin Stevens you hear another. And if you watch a BBC documentary you'll likely hear another.

The trick is figuring out how they determine the deadliest and distinguishing deadliest from most venomous. Watch the documentary we created here and leave your comments. We'd like to hear what you think is the world's deadliest snake.

Top Toxic Snakes- LD50 Numbers

Ranking Based Just On Ld50 Test Figures (not on number of recorded deaths)

Species	LD 50 mg/kg	mg Venom yield
Hook-nosed sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa)	0.02	7.0 - 79.0
Russel's Viper (Vipera russelii)	0.03	130.0 - 250.0
Inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)	0.03	44.0 - 110.0
Dubois's reef sea snake (Aipysurus duboisii)	0.04	0.7
Eastern brownsnake (Pseudechis textilis)	0.05	2.0 - 67.0
Black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)	0.05	50.0 - 100.0
Tiger rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris)	0.06	6.0 - 11.0
Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)	0.07	1.6 - 8.0
Yellow-bellied seasnake (Pelamis platurus)	0.07	1.0 - 4.0
Common Indian krait (Bungarus caeruleus)	0.09	8.0 - 20.0
Desert horned viper (Cerastes cerastes)	0.1	20.0 - 45.0
Common taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus)	0.1	120 - 400
Common European viper (Vipera berus)	0.11	10.0 - 18.0
Tigersnake (Notechis scutatus)	0.12	35.0 - 189.0
Forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca)	0.12	?
Puffadder (Bitis arietans)	0.14	100.0 - 350.0
Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica)	0.14	350.0 - 600.0
Seakrait (Laticauda laticaudata)	0.16	?
Neotropical rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus)	0.17	20.0 -100.0
Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)	0.18	50.0 - 150.0
Egyptian cobra (Naja haje)	0.19	175.0 - 300.0
Harlequin coralsnake (Micrurus fulvius)	0.2	3.0 - 5.0
Ottoman viper (Vipera xanthina)	0.2	8.0 - 18.0
Erabu seakrait (Laticauda semifasciata)	0.21	2.0 - 14.0
African birdsnake (Thelotornis kirtlandii)	0.21	?
Ringhal (Hemachatus haemachatus)	0.22	80.0 - 120.0
Olive seasnake (Aipysurus laevis)	0.22	10.0 - 33.0
Black-necked cobra (Naja nigricollis)	0.23	150.0 - 350.0
Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus)	0.24	5.0 - 48.0
Common mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps)	0.26	60.0 - 95.0
Bar-bellied seasnake (Hydrophis elegans)	0.27	9.0 - 24.0
Spectacled cobra (Naja naja)	0.28	150.0 - 600.0
Annulated seasnake (Hydrophis cyanocinctus)	0.35	5.0 - 8.0
Fer-de-lance (Bothrops atrox)	0.35	100.0 - 200.0
White-lipped tree pitviper (Trimeresurus albolabris)	0.37	8.0 - 15.0
Hundred-pace pitviper (Deinagkistrodon acutus)	0.38	?
Central American coralsnake (Micrurus nigrocinctus)	0.4	5.0 - 8.0
Northern moleviper (Atractaspis microlepidota)	?	5.0 - 10.0
Yellow-lipped seakrait (Laticauda colubrina)	0.4	?
Jararacussu (Bothrops jararacussu)	0.46	200.0 - 321.0
Nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes)	0.48	?
Common blacksnake (Pseudechis porphyriacus)	0.5	30.0 - 50.0
Deathadder (Acanthophis antarcticus)	0.6	70.0 - 236.0
Hardwicke's seasnake (Lapemis curtus)	0.62	2.4 - 15.0
Southern coralsnake (Micrurus frontalis)	0.63	20.0 - 30.0
Blunt-nosed viper (Vipera lebetina)	0.64	12.0 - 150.0
Wagler's pitviper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)	0.75	65.0 - 90.0
Cantil (Agkistrodon bilineatus)	0.8	50.0 - 95.0
King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)	0.9	350.0 - 500
Twin-spotted rattlesnake (Crotalus pricei)	0.95	4.0 - 8.0
European asp (Vipera aspis)	1	9.0 - 10.0
Western rattlesnake (Croatalus viridis)	1.01	35.0 - 250.0
Terciopelo (Bothrops aspera)	1.1	100 - 310
Jararaca (Bothrops jararaca)	1.1	40.0 - 70.0
Banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus)	1.2	20.0 - 114.0
Mamushi (Agkistrodon blomhoffii)	1.2	1.0 - 7.0
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)	1.2	200.0 - 850.0
Malayan pitviper (Calloselasma rhodostoma)	1.24	40.0 - 60.0
Picados pitviper (Porthidium picadoi)	1.33	5.0 - 70.0
Eyelash palm pitviper (Bothriechis schlegelii)	1.6	10.0 - 20.0
Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)	1.64	75.0 - 210.0
Common nightadder (Causus rhombeatus)	1.85	20.0 - 30.0
Lowland copperhead (Austrelaps superbus)	2	?
Urutu (Bothrops alternatus)	2	60.0 - 100.0
Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)	2.04	80.0 - 170.0
Orsini's viper (Vipera ursinii)	2.17	1.0 - 4.0
Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)	2.2	175.0 - 600.0
Jumping pitviper (Porthidium nummifer)	2.4	40.0 - 60.0
Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes)	2.6	18.0 - 50.0
Pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius)	2.8	12.0 - 35.0
Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)	2.9	15.0 - 45.0
Okinawa habu (Trimeresurus flavoviridis)	3.05	?
Red diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber)	3.7	120 - 450
Speckled palm pitviper (Bothriechis lateralis)	4	10.0 - 20.0
Bushmaster (Lachesis muta)	4.5	200 - 500
Rainforest hognosed pitviper (Porthidium nasutum)	4.6	12.0 - 25.0
Side-striped palm pitviper (Bothriechis lateralis)	4.84	10.0 - 20.0
Slender hognosed pitviper (Porthidium ophryomegas)	6.3	10.0 - 20.0
Godman's pitviper (Porthidium godmani)	7.6	10.0 - 20.0
Rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus)	9	129
Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)	10.9	40.0 - 75.0

Cite this Page: Nelson, R. 2008. "World's Deadliest Snakes" (OnLine) UntamedScience. Accessed Jul 29, 2010 at http://www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/article/worlds-deadliest-snakes