Responsible for the majority of snakebite deaths in its region, the fer-de-lance or terciopelo starts our list of the most venomous snakes in the world. Located in South and Central America along with Mexico and Brazil, the fer-de-lance is one of the most dangerous pit vipers out there.
South Australia
Sand dunes are common breeding grounds for snakes of this region. Most of the venomous tend to be in this area. This is because it receives large amounts of sun but at the same time allows for enough cover for protection.
Introducing the most venomous snake in the world and epic predator of the Australian outback! The inland taipan is otherwise known as the fierce snake or small scaled snake. They can be marvelled at in our Robert's Reptile House, right here at Australia Zoo.
The killer of the most people
The saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) may be the deadliest of all snakes, since scientists believe it to be responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined.
Some fun facts about the Black Mamba:
They are some of the world's fastest snakes and are capable of speeds of more than 12 miles (19 km) per hour and hence will be the one which can kill the fastest. In the wild, a black mamba can live for up to 11 years.
A human can collapse within 45 minutes of a Black Mamba bite. Without treatment it can take 7 to 15 hours for a Black Mamba bite to kill you. The sooner a person is treated after the bite, the better his chances of survival. A Black Mamba antidote is administered where necessary, but some people may be allergic.
The mortality rate is high in untreated cases: Dangerousness of bite - severe envenomation likely, high lethality potential. Rate of envenoming - >80% Untreated lethality rate - >80%
The Coastal Taipan is often regarded as the most dangerous snake in Australia. They are extremely nervous and alert snakes, and any movement near them is likely to trigger an attack.
All three snakes are known for being incredibly deadly, and the task had everyone's hearts racing as each snake was revealed from the bags. The Milk Off made the Coastal Taipan victorious at a massive 2.4 grams of venom, while the King Brown came second at 1.6 grams and the Tiger Snake came third with 0.2 grams.
Norfolk Island is a very safe place to visit. There are no snakes on the island, and most of our spiders are harmless (even the big ones).
Most Australians are familiar with the tiger snake, one of our most iconic animals. The snakes in our study were from Carnac Island, a tiny islet off the coast of Perth in Western Australia. They were introduced here less than a century ago, possibly dumped by a travelling snake performer to avoid trouble with the law.
In Australia, snakes sometimes slither into suburban backyards and homes. When the weather gets warm, they lounge in the sun. When it gets hot, they seek cool places: a wall crevice, under a refrigerator, under a barbecue grill, behind an air-conditioning unit.
Even more impressive, Australia is home to 20 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world, including all of the top 11.
Before we get to the fun bit, we should note that black mambas are from Africa and inland taipans are from Australia. This means under natural circumstances, the two species would never meet.
Snake plague is a major concern in Australia. As it's the country to most snake species, residents often encounter these unexpected coiling guests in the bathroom, in the ceiling, under the bed, and even right in front of their doorstep.
Utilising their outstanding camouflage abilities, death adders will lie in wait for any unsuspecting prey that passes by, such as mammals, birds and reptiles. By wiggling the end of their tail, they entice prey in close enough for their rapid strike, the fastest of any Australian snake!
Corn Snake
One number one choice for the best snake pet is the corn snake. Of the bunch, corn snakes are considered the most docile and gentle. They are also known for being easy to handle and easy to feed.
We repeat, move away from the snake. That means don't walk up to it, poke it with a stick, try to pick it up, etc. We recommend retreating a safe distance away but keeping an eye on the snake. If you can, use your camera or smartphone's zoom to snap a quick picture of the snake.
The black mamba, for example, injects up to 12 times the lethal dose for humans in each bite and may bite as many as 12 times in a single attack. This mamba has the fastest-acting venom of any snake, but humans are much larger than its usual prey so it still takes 20 minutes for you to die.
After the king cobra, the black mamba is the longest venomous snake in the world. It is also the fastest-moving snake in the world, reaching up to 23km/h.
There are actually NO recorded human fatalities from the bite of an Inland Taipan! By contrast, less venomous snakes such as cobras and vipers that live in the more densely populated continents of Asia and Africa kill tens of thousands of people every year.
Predation. Adult mambas have few natural predators aside from birds of prey. Brown snake eagles are verified predators of adult black mambas, of up to at least 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in). Other eagles known to hunt or at least consume grown black mambas include tawny eagles and martial eagles.
The black mamba is the world's longest venomous snake after the king cobra. Humans can outrun any kind of snake. Although black mambas are considered the fastest snakes in the world at 10-12mph humans can run up to 23mph.
A black mamba will chase a person down to kill them. However, their speed does make getting away from one that feels threatened a bit more difficult. "We can outrun them. They're believed to be the fastest snake in the world, moving up to 12 kilometers per hour (7.4mph)," he said.
Four species of sharks account for the vast majority of fatal attacks on humans: the bull shark, tiger shark, oceanic whitetip shark and the great white shark.