Most Venomous Snakes in the World By Reshma Jirage
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] There are several species of venomous snakes spread throughout the world. Here is some interesting information about the most venomous snakes in the world.
A few days back, we watched a snake in the backyard of our apartment. Obviously, all the people were scared. Some were thinking of killing it, while some were insisting on handing it over to the zoo. At last, the experts caught it and transferred it to the zoo. After that incidence, people were discussing about whether the snake was poisonous or non-poisonous. At that time, I thought, how many people know about the poisonous and non-poisonous snakes? Here is some useful information about the most venomous snakes in the world.
The snakes are included in the category of reptiles. There are more than 2,900 species of snakes spread all over the world, out of them, about 600 species are known to be venomous. A venomous snake has highly specialized teeth such as hollow fangs, through which it delivers the venom. It is meant for self-defense and prey immobilization. A bite of a venomous snake quickly affects different organs including the lungs, heart, central nervous system, red blood cells and muscles. There are three types of venom such as neurotoxic, hemotoxic and myotoxic. Some of the most venomous snakes in the world are Taipan, krait, Philippine cobra, King cobra, Russell’s viper, Black Mamba, yellow-jawed tommygoff, Western Brown Snake, tiger snake and banded sea-snake.
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Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus): It is one of the most venomous and deadliest snakes in the world. There are three main sub-species of Taipan such as Papuan Taipan (Oxyuranus s. canni), Western or Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus Microlepidotus) or (Fierce Snake) and Common or Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus Scutellatus). Taipans are found in Australia and New Guinea. Fierce snake or Inland Taipan is more toxic as compared to Papuan Taipan and Coastal Taipan. Inland Taipan is olive or brown in appearance, with uniformly black head or black marking on the head. Its habitat is grasslands and dry plains. Common or Coastal Taipan is dark or light brown in color with a paler shade on the sides and underside and lightly keeled scales. It is about 6 ft in length. It is found in the open woodlands and forests.
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Krait: This highly poisonous snake is found in Asia. It appears black or bluish-black in color with a white narrow cross-bands and a narrow head. Its average length is about 90cms. It is more active at night than during the day. It is 15 times more deadly than the common cobra. Its venom is a powerful neurotoxin, which causes the respiratory failure.
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King cobra: It is world’s largest venomous snake. Its average length is about 3.5 meters and it can be maximum 5.5 meters long. It appears uniformly brown, olive or green in color with black cross-bands. King cobra is commonly found in Southern China, Thailand, Philippines, South India and Malaysia Peninsula. Its venom is a neurotoxin type.
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Russell’s viper: Russell’s viper is more commonly found in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysian Peninsula, Southern China, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and surrounding islands. It has a light brown body with three rows of black or brown splotches having white or yellow border. Its average length is about 1 meter. It is responsible for relatively more human deaths than any other types of venomous snake. While attacking, it coils tightly, hisses and strikes with such a high speed that its victim gets little chance to escape. Its venom is of hemotoxin type, which is a powerful coagulant, causing damage to blood cells and tissues.
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Black Mamba: It is Africa’s most feared venomous snake. It is found in Africa’s open woodlands and African savannas. It is highly toxic and notoriously aggressive. Its venom is a powerful neurotoxin. It appears uniformly black or brown. Its average length is about 4.3 meters. Its mouth has a black internal lining. It is known as world’s fastest land snake with the top speed of 16-19 km/hr.
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Tiger snake: It is olive or dark brown in color with olive or yellowish belly and cross-bands. Its subspecies are found in Victoria and Tasmania and it is uniformly black. Its average length is about 1.2 to 1.8 meters. It is one of the most venomous snakes found in Australia. It is also found in New Guinea, Tasmania and Bass Strait Islands. Its venom is a potent neurotoxin that affects the central nervous system. It produces venom in high quantities, with an average yield of about 35 mg to 180 mg.
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Western Brown Snake (Pseudonaja nuchalis): It is found in the grasslands, forests, deserts and gravelly plains. It is a native of Australia. It has a narrow black head and black neck. It may be black or light brown in color with narrow dark crossbars or a series of lighter bands around the body. It is about 1.5 meters in length. Its venom is neurotoxic.
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Thu May 27, 2010 1:09 pm
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