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Most venomous snakes in the world
The most comprehensive work is considered to be that by A.J. Broad, S.K. Sutherland, and A. R. Couleter (Toxicon, 1979). However, this work is far from complete. Crotalus adamenteus is the only viper included and Naja naja the only non-Australian elapids. This is ignoring the various species of cobra besidse N. naja nor does it include any of the various coral snake species or Bungarus (Kraits), Daboia (Russels vipers), Dendroaspis (Mamba), Echis (carpet and saw-scaled vipers) or any of the sea snakes besides E. shistosa in addition to two extremely toxic species of Crotalus: durrissus (Neotropical rattlesnake) and scutulatus (Mojave green rattlesnake). Many species of Australian elapids are also not in the list
There are two ways to look at the situation. One, to consider LD50 as well as venom yeild or, to look at just murine LD50s (these are usually what people are asking about regarding most venomous... drop for drop
Scientific name |
Common name |
Murine LD50 mg/kg |
Murine LD50 mg/kg (sub-cutaneous, saline) |
| Oxyuranus microlepidotus | Inland taipan | 0.010 |
0.025 |
| Pseudonaja textilis | Eastern brown snake | 0.041 |
0.053 |
| Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus | Coastal taipan | 0.064 |
0.099 |
| Notechis scutatus scutatus | Mainland tiger snake | 0.118 |
0.118 |
| Notechis ater niger | Peninsula tiger snake | 0.099 |
0.131 |
| Notechis ater occidentalis | Western tiger snake | 0.124 |
0.194 |
| Enhydrina schistosa | Beaked sea snake | 0.173 |
0.164 |
| Notechis ater serventyi | Chappell Island tiger snake | 0.271 |
0.338 |
| Acanthophis antarticus | Common death adder | 0.338 |
0.400 |
| Pseudonaja nuchalis | Gwardar | 0.338 |
0.473 |
| Austrelaps superbus | Lowland copperhead | 0.500 |
0.560 |
| Naja naja | Indian cobra | 0.500 |
0.565 |
| Tropidechis carinatus | Rough-scaled snake | 1.09 |
1.36 |
| Pseudechis papuanus | Papuan black snake | 1.36 |
1.09 |
| Hoplocephalus stephensi | Stephen's banded snake | 1.44 |
1.36 |
| Ophiophagus hannah | King cobra | 1.91 |
1.80 |
| Pseudechis guttatus | Spotted black snake | 1.53 |
2.13 |
| Pseudechis colletti | Collett's snake | - |
2.38 |
| Pseudechis australis | Mulga snake | 1.91 |
2.38 |
| Pseudechis porphyriacus | Red-bellied black snake | 2.53 |
2.52 |
| Cryptophis nigrescens | Small-eyed snake | - |
2.67 |
| Crotalus adamentus | Eastern diamondback rattlesnake | 7.70 |
11.4 |
| Demansi olivacea | Marbled headed whip snake | - |
>14.2 |
| Bothrops atrox | Barba amarilla | - |
>27.8 |
| Acanthophis amstrongi | Black headed death adder |
| Acanthophis hawkei | Barkly tableland death adder |
| Acanthophis praelongus | Northern death adder |
| Acanthophis pyrrhus | Desert death adder |
| Austrelaps labialis | Highland copperhead |
| Austrelaps ramsayi | Pygmy copperhead |
| Echiopsis atriceps | Lake Cronin snake |
| Echiopsis curta | Bardick snake |
| Hoplocephalus bitorquatus | Pale-headed snake |
| Hoplocephalus bungaroides | Broad-headed snake |
| Notechis ater ater | Krefft's tiger snake |
| Notechis ater humphreysi | King Island/Tasmanian Tiger snake |
| Oxyuranus scutellatus canni | Papuan taipan |
| Pseudechis butleri | Butler's snake/spotted mulga |
| Pseudonaja guttata | Speckled brown snake |
| Pseudonaja inframacula | Peninsula brown snake |
| Pseudonaja ingrami | Ingram's brown snake |
| Pseudonaja modesta | Ringed brown snake |
There is no evidence to suggest that any of these snakes (with the possible exceptions of Hoplocephalus bitorquartus and Pseudonaja modesta) are dramatically less toxic than closely related (and already measured in the top 25) species.
As is faily evident, the list of the most toxic snakes is long overdue for an update.
Much of this is of course simply academic.... dead is dead!!