There are few animals scarier or deadlier than snakes on the planet. Snakes account for the second-most animal-to-human fatalities every year.
Snakes are one of the most feared creatures on the planet. These limbless, cold-blooded carnivores strike terror into the hearts of anyone who comes across them. It doesn’t matter if they are venomous or not; the first sign of a snake makes people anxious. And there’s a good reason behind such behaviour.
Snakes have been the subject of misconceptions and mythical tales since time immemorial. Some cultures even worship snakes. Many mythical serpents like dragons, the Echidna and the basilisk have been inspired by snakes.
It’s rare for snakes to attack humans without provocation, and they are more scared of us than we are of them. Yet they feature the second-highest human kill count for any animal. However, some snakes are more deadly and aggressive than others.
1.The bite of an inland or western taipan—Oxyuranus microlepidotus, also called, appropriately, the fierce snake—delivers a veritable witch’s brew of toxins. The venom consists of taipoxin, a complex mix of neurotoxins, procoagulants, and myotoxins that paralyze muscles, inhibit breathing, cause hemorraging in blood vessels and tissues, and damage muscles.
2.The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the longest venomous snake in the world. Its bite delivers a tremendous amount of paralysis-inducing neurotoxins. The snake’s venom is so strong and so voluminous that it can kill an elephant in just a few hours. Death also results in at least 50 to 60 percent of untreated human cases.
3.The “black,” or black-mouthed, mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) inhabits rocky savanna and can often be encountered on the ground, where it seems to be fond of termite mounds. Ranging in color from gray to dark brown, its name derives from the blackened inside of its mouth. The black mamba is feared because it is large and quick, and it possesses an extremely potent venom that kills most of its human victims. Despite its aggressive reputation, unprovoked attacks on humans have not been proved, and it is responsible for only a small number of deaths annually.
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