Most Venomous Snakes in the World: Top 10 by Venom Potency

How is snake venom potency measured?

Scientists compare snake venoms using the LD50, short for “lethal dose 50%.” It is the dose of venom, in milligrams per kilogram of body weight, that kills half of the laboratory mice that receive it. A lower number means a stronger venom.

The test can be done in several ways. Injection under the skin (subcutaneous, or SC) is considered closest to a real bite, so this list uses SC values where they exist. Results still vary between studies, depending on the mice, the venom sample and the liquid used to dissolve it, so the figures below are approximate and neighboring snakes may swap places. Remember also that venom potency in mice is not the same as danger to people.

1. Inland taipan: about 0.025 mg/kg

The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), also called the fierce snake, lives in the Channel Country of southwestern Queensland and northeastern South Australia. It averages about 2 m (6.6 ft) long and shelters in deep cracks in the clay floodplains, where it hunts rats. Its venom acts fast on warm-blooded prey, combining nerve toxins with toxins that disrupt blood clotting.

The subcutaneous LD50 is about 0.025 mg/kg, and as low as about 0.01 mg/kg in some tests. An average bite delivers about 44 mg, and the largest recorded yield is about 110 mg. Despite all this, the snake is placid and rarely seen. Read Is the inland taipan the most venomous snake? for how the LD50 tests were done.

2. Eastern brown snake: about 0.04–0.05 mg/kg

The eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) lives across eastern Australia and parts of southern New Guinea, often on farms and the edges of towns, where it hunts house mice. Slender, fast and up to about 2 m (7 ft) long, it causes more snakebite deaths in Australia than any other species. A national study of snakebites from 2005 to 2015 linked brown snakes to 15 of the 19 deaths it recorded, even though an eastern brown snake yields on average less than 5 mg of venom when milked.

3. Dubois’ sea snake: about 0.044 mg/kg

Dubois’ sea snake (Aipysurus duboisii) is the most venomous sea snake known. It lives on coral reefs and sandy seabeds of northern Australia, New Guinea and New Caledonia, down to depths of about 80 m (262 ft). It is no threat to most people, because its fangs are only about 1.8 mm (0.07 in) long and its venom yield is tiny. The famous claim that Belcher’s sea snake is the world’s most venomous snake comes from a popular 1996 book that mixed up results from different test methods; its venom is actually much weaker.

4. Many-banded krait: about 0.09–0.11 mg/kg

The many-banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus) of southern China, Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia is black with white bands. It is active at night and often lives near rice paddies, streams and villages. Its venom contains powerful nerve toxins, and bites may cause little pain at first, so victims can underestimate them. The IUCN lists the species as Vulnerable.

5. Coastal taipan: about 0.11–0.12 mg/kg

The coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) of northern and eastern Australia and New Guinea is the inland taipan’s larger, more nervous cousin, averaging about 2 m (6.6 ft) and reaching about 2.9 m (9.5 ft). It delivers far more venom than its relative, about 120 mg on average and up to 400 mg. A specific taipan antivenom became available in the mid-1950s. It was made with venom from a snake caught by the young snake handler Kevin Budden, who died after it bit him in 1950.

6. Beaked sea snake: about 0.11–0.16 mg/kg

The beaked sea snake (Hydrophis schistosus) lives in shallow coastal waters and estuaries from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia. Its names in Tamil and Malayalam mean “net biter,” because fishers who pull it up in their nets are its usual victims. It is responsible for most sea snake bites and the great majority of sea snake deaths.

7. Black mamba: about 0.28–0.32 mg/kg

The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) of eastern and southern Africa is the longest venomous snake in Africa, usually 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) long. Its name comes from the inky black inside of its mouth, not its gray-brown skin. Its fast-acting nerve toxins and large venom yield made its bite often fatal before antivenom, but today most victims who get antivenom in time survive. See Is the black mamba the deadliest snake?

8. Common krait: about 0.37 mg/kg

The common krait (Bungarus caeruleus) lives across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. It hunts at night and often enters homes, and many victims are bitten while sleeping on the floor. The bite can be almost painless, but the nerve toxins may cause paralysis hours later. It is one of the “Big Four” snakes that cause most snakebite deaths in India.

9. Common death adder: about 0.4 mg/kg

The common death adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) of eastern and southern Australia looks like a viper but belongs to the cobra family. It lies half-buried in leaf litter and wiggles the grub-like tip of its tail to lure prey. Instead of fleeing, it stays still when people approach, so most bites happen when someone steps on it. Its strike is among the fastest of any snake.

10. Russell’s viper: about 0.75 mg/kg

Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) of the Indian subcontinent has less potent venom than the snakes above, but it is large, bad-tempered when disturbed and common in farmland. An adult can deliver well over 100 mg of venom, which causes severe bleeding and kidney damage. It is probably the single snake responsible for the most snakebite deaths in India. The Indian cobra, with an LD50 of about 0.6–0.8 mg/kg, follows close behind.

Most venomous snakes at a glance

Most venomous vs deadliest: why they are different lists

Australia has many of the world’s most potent snakes, yet usually records only a few snakebite deaths a year, thanks to good hospitals and antivenoms. The real toll falls elsewhere. The World Health Organization estimates that snakebites kill 81,000–138,000 people a year, mostly farmers and children in rural South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In India alone, a national study estimated about 58,000 snakebite deaths a year between 2000 and 2019, mostly from Russell’s vipers, kraits, cobras and saw-scaled vipers.

The king cobra, the world’s longest venomous snake, shows the difference too. Its venom is only moderately potent, about 1.5–1.9 mg/kg, but it can inject hundreds of milligrams in a single bite. For animals beyond snakes, see our list of the most venomous animals.

Venomous snakes in Europe and North America

Venomous snakes in Europe are all vipers, such as the common adder and the nose-horned viper, and deaths are very rare. In the United States, about 7,000–8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, and about five die. Our guide to venomous snakes in the US covers rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths and coral snakes.

The best protection everywhere is to leave snakes alone: watch where you step and put your hands, use a flashlight at night and never try to catch or kill a snake. If you are bitten, seek emergency medical help immediately: call 911 in the US, 112 in the EU or 999 in the UK.