There are many dangerous, poisonous and venomous creatures unique to the Australian continent, which include sharks, crocodiles, spiders, jellyfish and many more, among which we have chosen 11 most venomous snakes in Australia. Although not being considered world’s deadliest, around 140 of 270 of Australian snake species are venomous, which makes them 2/3 of whole Australian snake community.
Some of the most venomous snakes in the world do come from Australia, but why does that not make them the most dangerous ones also? Because of two reasons, first being that many of the Australian snakes do not often encounter humans, since humans and many snake species inhabit different regions, so the deadly snakebites are actually very rare. Secondly, it is the method of determining which snakes are most venomous, which is not related to deadly bites in humans, but in venom strength. What makes specific venom strong and effective is the mix of toxins it is made of. Interestingly, some researches have shown that composition and strength of the venoms are related to the prey snakes prefer, so different venoms are “specialized” to different kinds of prey animals. Some snakes even change the venom composition throughout their lives, having different venom in juvenile stages and the adulthood.
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Considering the most venomous snakes, scientists use so-called LD50 value for ranking the venom strength. LD50 is a value that shows how many milligrams of snake venom per kilogram is enough to kill the victim. The experiments are being conducted on mice by injecting a certain dose of venom. The less venom needed to kill a victim, the more venomous the snake is. That means that snakes whose venom has the lowest LD50 value are the most venomous. The resources we have compared, which base their results on the LD50, all agree on Australian species being the most venomous. The resources we consulted and compared, with the LD50 values available were Australian Venom Research Unit, the Wild Classroom and the School of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Melbourne.
Having some of the honorable places on our list of 20 Most Deadliest Snakes in the World, Australian snakes do deserve a special topic. Luckily, although being very venomous, these snakes are rarely fatal to humans. Many among them are aquatic species, whose mouths are not built to bite huge prey, therefore they don usually bite people.
Let’s take a look which are the most venomous snakes in Australia.
11. Western brown snake, gwardar (Pseudonaja nuchalis)
LD50: 0.473
The gwardar is most common in the western part of Australia, though it is distributed over the whole continent. It is a long (1.5 meters on average) and slender species. They are usually brownish, with freckles or bands over the body and sometimes dark head. They are said to be less aggressive than the eastern brown snake, though their bites can be fatal.
10. Death adder (Acnthophis antarcticus)
LD50: 0.4
Death adder ranks 10th in our list of most venomous snakes in Australia. It is widely spread throughout the whole Australia, except southernmost parts. They are small (60 centimeters on average, females being slightly larger than males) but thick snakes, with a distinctive large triangular head. Depending on the environment, death adder’s coloration differs and ranges from brown, black, gray, to yellow and reddish hues, and the majority has banded pattern throughout the body.
9. Bar bellied seasnake, elegant sea snake (Hydrophis elegans)
LD50: 0.27
This aquatic species is indigenous to northern and eastern coasts of Australia. It inhabits fresh waters equally as the sea, preferring muddy soft estuarine surroundings. It is the longest aquatic snake species, whose length reaches 2 meters. It is also known under the common name the elegant sea snake for its slender body, usually gray or olive in color, with darker dots which form banded patterns.
8. Beaked sea snake, hook-nosed sea snake, common sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa)
LD50: 0.164
Beaked sea snake ranks 8th in our list od most venomous snakes in Australia. It is a widespread aquatic snake species found throughout Indian and Pacific oceans, along with the waters of north Australia. It prefers muddy shallow waters, and it is not unusual to find this snake up the river course. Because of that, encounters with people are rather often, and some bites have a fatal outcome, for it does not hesitate to attack first. The average body length is around 140 centimeters, being relatively stout and with small head compared to the rest of the body. It is recognizable for its banded pattern with the pale base color and darker bands, which fade as the snake ages.
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7. Black tiger snake (Notechis ater niger)
LD50: 0.131
The black tiger snake inhabits southwestern Australia, Tasmania, and islands off western Australian coasts. It is a subspecies of tiger snake but they are fairly distinct species, and inhabit a bit drier habitats than common tiger snakes. They also differ in color, being almost wholly black on the dorsal (back side) and usually slightly lighter on the ventral side (belly).
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6. Tiger snake, common tiger snake (Notechis scutatus)
LD50: 0.118
The common tiger snake ranks 6th in our list of most venomous snakes in Australia. It inhabits southern Australia and Tasmanian island. Among marshy and water rich areas, this snake is common in populated areas, where it ends up when searching for mice and rats, which are its common prey, and that brings to frequent encounters with humans. The body length is around 1.2-1.6 meters on average, and they are relatively thick built. The coloration varies from yellowish to dark brown and black and they are most usually banded, but some bands are almost absent in some specimens.
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5. Taipan, coastal taipan, eastern taipan, common taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus)
LD50: 0.99
This snake is most common on the shores of northern and eastern Australia and also in New Guinea. It prefers tropical monsoon forests and grasslands. It is Australia’s longest venomous snakes (some specimens reaching up to 3 meters!), and it also has largest fangs, around 1.3 centimeters. Being among the most venomous snakes in Australia, it also encounters people more often than its more venomous relative snake species (the inland taipan), because it feeds on mice and other rodents which dwell around urban areas.
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4. Yellow-bellied snake, pelagic sea snake (Pelamis platurus)
LD50: 0.07
The yellow-bellied snake ranks 4th in our list of most venomous snakes in Australia. It is an aquatic species, and beside Australian waters it is widely spread throughout Asia and the Pacific, reaching the coasts of the Americas, preferring tropical climate. It is recognizably colored, being dark, brown, black or grayish on the dorsal (back) side, and brightly yellow on the ventral side (belly), and the top of the tail being spotted. They grow around 1 meter on average, females being significantly larger.
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3. Eastern brown snake, common brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis)
LD50: 0.05
This snake is common in many different habitats, from forests, pastures, savannahs, coastal areas, but it is also present in semi-urban areas. It is a long snake, the average length of 1.1-1.8 meters, and usually brownish colored, though that can vary depending on the surroundings. Apart from being one of the most venomous snakes in Australia, it is also very dangerous, according to the National Coronial Information Service, it has caused up to 35 deaths in period 2000-2016.
2. Dubois’ reef sea snake, reef shallows sea snake (Aipysurus duboisii)
LD50: 0.04
This is an aquatic snake species that inhabits coral reefs in the northern coast of Australia, waters around Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia. It is a slender snake, with the average length of around 80 centimeters. The coloration is variable; it usually consists of lighter base color with dark bands or patches throughout the body. It is the most venomous aquatic snake species.
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1. Inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)
LD50: 0.025
The Inland taipan is considered to be the most venomous snake species in the world, and also the most venomous snakes in Australia. Its venom is so strong that it could theoretically kill 250,000 mice with a single bite! But in reality, this snake feeds on smaller and medium-sized rodents as well as some birds in the semi-desert areas where it dwells. Inland taipan is very well adapted to its environment, and usually being grayish brown in color, it changes its skin color during different seasons of the year. It is a slender and rather long species (of around 1,8 meters on average), and it usually avoids conflict unless being provoked, when it returns the attack by raising the body and curving in S-shape as a warning sign.
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