Snakes never attack a person just like that. Aggression of reptiles is always justified, but if it was bitten, then there was a reason. And at this time it is important not to panic, but to have time to make out the pattern on the back of the attacker. Suddenly this is the most dangerous snake in the world.
What is poison dangerous?
In general, snakes are simply reptiles that are much weaker than humans, but in order to compensate for this deficiency, their glands of internal secretions produce a complex mixture of organic and inorganic substances called snake venom. Naturally, the composition and properties of the poison of different snakes are not the same, but the inhabitants of Russia and the northern regions are very lucky that the most dangerous snakes in the world do not live on their territory. After all, the poison in these representatives of the fauna can kill a person in a matter of hours.
The poisons of the most dangerous snakes include proteins, amino acids, enzymes, fatty acids, trace elements. By the nature of the effect, poisons are:
- Neurotoxic. The substance stops the transmission of neuromuscular signals and a person dies of lung paralysis.
- Hemovasotoxic. Such poisons cause muscle cramps and swelling of the internal organs.
The poisons of the most dangerous snakes are also divided by origin. So, secrete the poisons of sea snakes. They are considered the strongest among all existing ones. Aspid poisons with neurotoxic effects, and viper poisons also belong to this classification.
Formidable opponents
If we talk about the most dangerous snakes in the world, then a person is unlikely to get rid of them with a slight fright. Such a meeting can be fatal, so you need to know who to fear.
The top 10 most dangerous snakes include such reptiles:
- Tiger snake.
- Taipan
- Dubois is a sea snake.
- Mulga.
- Malay Krai.
- Sandy efa.
- Egyptian cobra or guy.
- King cobra or hamadriad.
- Black Mamba.
- Rattlesnakes.
Tiger
The top of the most dangerous snakes is opened by a resident of Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea - a tiger snake. Her color is fully consistent with the name - the belly is bright yellow, and the back is decorated with wide black stripes.
The venom of this reptile is very toxic. Its amount released with one bite is enough to kill 400 people. Despite such a terrifying fact, this snake is very peaceful, it bites only if it is directly attacked or someone accidentally sets foot. Unfortunately, it’s quite possible to accidentally step on this reptile, because it can very easily be confused with a stick. It sounds, of course, paradoxical, but travelers often grab a tiger snake to ward off another snake or a poisonous spider. So in Australia, before you pick up something, you need to carefully look at this something.
The poison of this snake is very small, so it saves him. Tourists can often come across ads in Australia that the tiger snake is very cowardly, so you don’t need to kill it when you meet it. She herself will leave, and if she shows aggression, then, without a doubt, she will attack.
Taipan
Another most dangerous snake is also a resident of Australia and New Guinea. Even a horse can kill a bite of this representative of the fauna, and its name has long been considered a synonym for death. Its poison can cause the death of hundreds of people.
For a long time nothing was known about this snake, because everyone who came face to face with it died. Only in the middle of the twentieth century was the scientific community introduced the first taipan caught. A person who is bitten by this snake will live no more than an hour. Of course, there is an antidote, but the victim only has three minutes to make an injection, then it will be useless, so even today half of those bitten by a taipan die.
Unlike a tiger snake, taipan is not the most peace-loving creature, moreover, it is very fast. You need to have a literally lightning reaction to avoid his attack. One plus - the reptile is quite rare. It can not be found in densely populated and urbanized regions. In the modern world, there are three subspecies of these snakes: coastal taipan, desert (it is also called a cruel snake, because it rushes indiscriminately at all) and land taipan.
Her Highness Madame Dubois
Third place in the top of the most dangerous snakes is occupied by the sea snake Dubois. Despite the fact that all sea snakes are poisonous, this one has extremely toxic poison. The reptile lives in the seas of Indonesia, Malaysia and on the coasts of Australia. Its poison infects the respiratory center, and the victim dies of lung paralysis.
All sea snakes live at a shallow depth, after all, they breathe lightly and are forced to float from time to time for a portion of air. Although snakes can absorb oxygen from the water with the help of the mucous membrane of the mouth, they cannot be under water for more than two hours.
Dubois lives mainly in shallow water, so bathing people often become its victims. The snake itself is not aggressive, but since it is difficult to notice under the water column, a person can accidentally step on it. Although the poison of the sea snake is toxic, it injects it in small doses, so people practically do not die from the bites of this reptile.
Mulga
And again, one of the most dangerous poisonous snakes is a resident of Australia. The mulga, or brown king, produces a lot of poison, which is why it is very dangerous, although its poison is not as toxic as, for example, taipan. The farther north the snake lives, the meaner its character.
The Mulga prefers to drive away an enemy that he is not going to eat, rather than bite him. Most victims of her bites themselves are to blame for trying to tease a snake, beat with a stick or wanted to catch. The remaining minority of those bitten are people who simply accidentally hit her without noticing.
Mulga is a large snake, sometimes it can grow up to three meters in length. Her back shines with a beautiful chocolate shade, the belly is several tones lighter. Serum from its bites exists and acts very successfully if you enter it on time. But this snake is often confused with a brown snake, which is not included in the top of the most dangerous snakes in the world. Improper treatment and becomes the main cause of death after meeting with a mulga.
Malay Krai
The territory of its habitat is the Malay archipelago. The body of this snake is decorated with black, white or yellow stripes. Her bites are very toxic, some victims die even after providing medical care. Researchers note that the poison from one bite of a kraft is enough to send another 10 people to the world.
Depending on the time of day, kraits behave differently. Usually in the afternoon, these snakes are lethargic and sleepy, so if they see a person, they crawl on their own, without making any unnecessary sounds. At night, snakes become fast and agile, they can attack even without a warning hiss.
Krayts often settle next to a person and often become random guests of a human home. It’s good that they have short fangs that can’t bite through dense denim clothes.
Efa
Perhaps it can rightfully be called the most dangerous snake in Africa, it accounts for more human deaths than all African snakes. Efa - a small bright snake, less than a meter in length. It is easy to notice because of the color - golden scales with white spots. It lives mainly in desert areas.
Everyone who did not die after being bitten by this snake remained disabled. The venom of this reptile causes the skin to die. Therefore, after a bite, a person is often amputated limbs or transplanted skin. Sand venom poison also causes bleeding in all mucous membranes. Blood begins to ooze from the eyes, ears, nose.
Despite such a terrifying biography, efa has never been militant. She uses poison for hunting, and she tries to avoid encounters with two-legs. When she sees a person, she begins to make a special sound. Do not come close to her, she jumps far and fast, capable of hitting the enemy at a distance of three meters.
Gaya
Speaking of the most dangerous snakes, it is impossible not to remember the cobras. The Egyptian cobra belongs to the aspid family and is considered the most dangerous among them. In Egypt, they worship her, calling them Cleopatra's snake.
Guy reaches a length of about 1.5 meters, and the poison can also spit. Bitten by an Egyptian cobra can die after 15 minutes. There is an antidote, but they do not always manage to enter it on time. A cobra is particularly stubborn, if it gets angry, it will certainly bite - no exhortations will help.
Despite the danger, cobras in Egypt are often kept as pets (after breaking off their teeth). Also, these snakes are used for entertainment - with hand snakes often appear in the markets. Among the Egyptians there is a belief that Egyptian cobras bite only bad people, but the facts speak differently - cobras often attack a person not only without warning, but also without reason.
Hamadriad
Another cobra, included in the top 10 most dangerous snakes, is proudly called the royal. It is considered the largest venomous snake on the planet. Before attacking a man, the snake becomes in a fighting stance, opens the hood and hisses menacingly. King cobra can reach a length of more than five meters. Moreover, her fangs are much smaller than other poisonous snakes. In most reptiles, poisonous fangs add up, in cobra they remain static. Therefore, they are small, and if they were even a millimeter larger, the snake simply could not close its mouth. A similar jaw structure also leads to attack features. Usually snakes bite and quickly return to a fighting position, while the cobra tightly clings to its prey so that the poison penetrates deeper. During a bite, she can “chew” her opponent, plunging her fangs into the flesh over and over again.
And yet, this method of warfare is not entirely effective: while the snake bites a person, its body remains defenseless, therefore, royal cobras attack people with great reluctance. During a bite, they may not even inject poison into the victim, and sometimes after their awesome dance they simply hit the person with his head to frighten him. And yet, after her bite, only a quarter of the wounded survive.
Black mamba
Another 10 most dangerous snakes include a three-meter reptile of the genus Mamb. Black mamba lives on the African continent. During the attack, she never limits herself to one bite, the snake will try to inject poison several times in a row. If poison enters a vein or artery, the victim dies on the spot.
Approximately 20,000 people die from black mamba bites in Africa each year. Mamba can be olive, gray or brown, its unique difference is the black mouth. The speed of this snake is simply amazing - 20 kilometers per hour. For this achievement, she was even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. But her danger is not only in speed, but also in the strange desire to live next to a person. Mamba is calm, and if he sees danger in the face of a person, then he tries to take refuge in a hollow and an abandoned termite.
In Africa, there is a belief that her partner will come to avenge the killed mamba, so the snake needs to be dragged away from home. It is also believed that a snake can chase a person for several kilometers to bite.
Rattlesnakes
These snakes usually live in Asia and the American continents. The length of the largest representative of this family (rhombic rattleshell), can reach 2.5 meters. Such reptiles are known for rattles on their tails. These snakes do not like to fight with large opponents, so if they see danger, they begin to “ring the rattle”, warning not about the attack, but about their presence. Bites only in case of emergency.
The venom of these snakes is very toxic and often leads to death. Still dangerous is the fact that rattlesnakes have strong jaws that can bite through even a thick, leather boot. The antidote successfully fights lethal outcomes, but the poison can cause tissue necrosis, due to which it is possible to lose the limb.
But if you look at things rationally, it does not matter which of the most dangerous snakes is in the way of man. A reptile will never attack unless it has a reason to do so.