Most Venomous Snakes in the World

Most Venomous Snakes in the World

What determines the worlds deadliest snake is different than what determines the worlds most venomous snake. Venom is a complex subject (see Snake Venom), and snake venom works differently on different creatures. But for the purposes of this page, weve listed the most toxic venom based on the lethal dose to mice, called the LD50.

The list of the most venomous snakes according to a compilation by Ernst and Zug (1996).

SpeciesLD 50 mg/kgmg Venom yield

Hook-nosed sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa)0.02 7.0 79.0

Russels Viper (Vipera russelii)0.03 130.0 250.0

Inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)0.03 44.0 110.0

Duboiss 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)0.2 12.0 14.0

African birdsnake (Thelotornis kirtlandii)0.2 1?

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?