Top 5 deadliest venomous snakes in the world

 There are around 600 venomous snake species that are found in the world. The snakes are simply elongated, legless, carnivorous reptiles they belong to the suborder Serpent. The poisonous snakes have some basic features from which we can identify by seeing their body colors, scales pattern, head shape, biting types of snake, etc. These snakes can be found in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The snake usually avoids the human but whenever they feel any danger they bite for their protection. The poisonous snakebites cause fatal physical trauma and it results in the death of the creature.

Here are the top 5 deadliest poisonous snakes in the world which may benefit you to know more about them.

#1 KING COBRA

The King cobra snake is one of the most venomous and also the larger snakes among another snake. They belong to the Elapidae family. They have been listed as vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2010.

Its scientific name is Ophiophagus hannah.

They are mainly found in India, Southern China, and Southern Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia.

They live in a variety of habitats including forest, dense mangroves, bamboo thickets, adjacent agricultural land, grassland, and near the river.

The King cobra is a slender, long snake with an average size of 10-12 feet, but it can be 18 feet, and its weight around 6 kg (13 lb).

The coloration of an adult King cobra is black, yellow, green, or brown. The body is covered with many crossbars or chevrons of uniform yellowish and white color. The hood is wider in size if compared to another snake with a creamy or light yellow throat is present.

Several scales are the exhibit along the ventral side of the body, the male has 235-250 scales, and the female has more scales of 239-265. They have two inches long fangs are present.

They mainly feed on other snakes they can be venomous or non and sometimes also some small animals like lizards and birds for diets.

They are shy predators but sometimes they show more aggressive behavior.

This snake is diurnal means they hunt during the daytime but less nocturnal means they are less active during the nighttime.

Amazingly, they shed their skin five times a year.

They have their dangerous venom neurotoxin, one bite of this species contains 200-500 mg of venom which inadequately affects the nerve or respiratory center in the medulla of the brain and the cardiovascular system of the body that results in death if the person is not efficiently given first aid or any medical treatment.

The average lifespan of King cobra is 20 years.

#2 COMMON KRAIT

The Common krait is also known as the Indian krait or blue krait. They also highly venomous snake species belonging to the Elapidae family. But they have not been yet listed in IUCN Red List.

Its scientific name is Bungarus calruleus.

They found in India, from Sindh to West Bengal throughout south India, and also other subcontinent of India, in Sir Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

They have also lived in a variety of habitats like a low scrub jungle, plain fields, and also inside houses.

The body of the Common krait is cylindrical with an average length of 0.9 m (3.0 ft), but it can grow to 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in).

The body coloration of Common krait is generally black or bluish-black. It is easily recognized by the triangular cross-section body with a distinctly large number of scales along the backbone, the dorsal scales are hexagonal and some white spots on the vertebral region, and their scales are highly courteous.

The eyes are small with a rounded pupil and the tail is a short and rounded tip.

For diet on the other snakes and also feed on small mammals such as mice, lizard, rat, and frog.

During the daytime, they take a rest or hide in the loose soil or rodent holes. But during the night time, they become active in the hunt with a loud hissing.

The Common krait possesses strong neurotoxin which prompts muscle paralysis but generally, due to respiratory system failure also causes death, it takes about 4 to 8 hours to occur death of the victim.

The Common krait average lifespan of captivity is 17.4 years.

#3 RUSSELL VIPER

The Russell viper is also a species of venomous snake which belongs to the Viperidae family.

Its scientific name is Daboia russelii.

They were found in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, and the Taiwan region.

Their habitat mainly in open areas of farmland, grassy and bushy areas due to this they easily come into contact with human and causes snakebite deaths.

The average body length of Russell viper is around 1.5 m. 

The coloration of the body is deep yellow, brown, or tan with three series of dark brown spots and with a black border that runs the length of the body and the body is a cross-section of which is rounded to circular.

They have broad eyes spotted with gold or yellow color and the average length of the fangs is 16.5 mm(0.65 in).

They chiefly feed on rodents, although eat some small reptile, scorpion and other arthropods.

They are mostly nocturnal but during winter or cool weather they become active during the day.

The venom of Russell viper is very dangerous which affects septicemia or kidney, cardiac arrest, or respiratory system failure. The venom yield of an adult species ranges from 130-250 mg to 150-250 mg to 21-268 mg according to the individual. 

The lifespan of Russell viper is around 15 years.

#4 SAW-SCALED VIPER

The Saw-Scaled viper is the most venomous snake species responsible for the snakebite's death cases listed in the world. They belong to the Viperidae family and are currently 12  snake species identified.

Its scientific name is Echis carinatus.

They are widely found in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the Middle East of Africa.

Their main habitat in the dry region of Savannah or rocky desert.

The body is moderately slender and cylindrical. The adult length of Saw-Scales viper is 0.3-0.9 m (1-3 feet).

The coloration of Saw-Scales viper is of the various shades of gray, orange, or brown with darker dorsal keeled scales and lateral marks. 

They are rather large sights and the tail is short. They have sidewinding locomotion.

TThediet various things such as frog, toad, beetle, spider, reptile, small mammals, and bird.

They rest in C shaped loop and if when they become more disturbed they produce a loud sizzling sound which also a term as stridulation which produces by rubbing the skin together.

The Saw-Scales viper consists of the most dangerous venom which of four types: neurotoxin, cardiotoxin, hemotoxin, and cytotoxin. These toxins poorly damage the tissues which result in bleeding anywhere from the body, cause intracranial hemorrhage, affect the cardio and nerve system badly this results in death. Their venom yield varies from species including 20-35 mg and 13-35 mg.

The average lifespan of the captivity of Saw-Scale viper is 23.8 years.

#5 MICRURUS SURINAMENSIS

The Micrurus surinamensis is the aquatic coral snake, they are semi-aquatic species that belong to the Elapidae family.

Its scientific name is Micrurus surinamensis.

They are majorly found in northern South American, that is Venezuela, Suriname, Peru, Guiana, French, Guyana, Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, and Bolivia and some are also occur in the Amazon rainforest.

Their habitat mainly in a tropical forest, humid forest with small mountains, and the water bodies such as rivers, streams, etc.

The body of Micrurus surinamensis is a heavy coral snake of average length 80-100 cm, it can be 135 cm long.

The coloration of the body is narrow rings separated by different like red, blue, and creamy or yellowish color.

They have a large head, long snout, and some shiny supraranal keels that are present, in dorsally black scale are them.

They feed on bony fish, swamp eel, amphibians, and some other snakes also.

They have nocturnal, spend most of their life in aquatic habits.

All the Micrurus genus snake have neurotoxin venom which causes neuromuscular blockage. The Micrurus surinamensis venom has inadequately failed the function of the respiratory system and paralysis of the cranial nerve.

The average lifespan of Micrurus surinamensis is 7 years.