What are the most deadliest snakes in the world? There are more than 2,500 snake species around the globe, less than 200 of which are venomous, and among them, we have chosen the 20 most deadliest snakes in the world.
Over 94,000 people die annually as a consequence of snake attack. This is an estimated figure because a certain number of deadly bites is not reported, therefore also not medically treated, especially in Africa. From this number, most of the deaths occur in southern Asia (India at the first place in the world with around 11,000 deaths annually), followed by Africa and the Americas.
The number of deaths caused by snakes is not linked to the snakes’ venom strength, since many of those snakes seldom get in touch with humans because of the different environment they inhabit. Although Australia is the richest in venomous snake species, as you can check out in our article on 20 Most Venomous Snakes in the World, only 30 deaths have been recorded in the last 20 years in Australia from snake bites.
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How do we consider snake a deadly one? First of all, by the number of deaths occurring from its bite. Secondly, those are snakes that are most common in areas in people’s vicinity, like urban areas and cultivated lands. Apart from venomous snakes, deaths can also occur by attacks of nonvenomous snakes! The article “Snakebite mortality in the world” we consulted, although being published in the fifties, gives us a detailed overview of dangerous and deadly snake species all over the world. We have also considered African snake bite institute, Reptile Magazine, Africa Geographic. Still the figures are not exact and not always comparable, since some present annual deaths while others show deaths per 100,000 people. Also, many of the bites even if coming from some of the most deadliest snakes, if treated quickly, do not have fatal consequences.
Most of the deaths caused by snake bites throughout the world occur in India, with the rest of South Asia, Africa, and South America, while the rest of the world provides negligible figures, where for example 58 countries do not even have any reported snake bites. Interestingly, the majority of the deadliest snakes in the world are not endangered species, even though some are being killed as they are a threat to humans and the livestock, like the Philippine cobra. Yet, most of the deaths occur in rural areas and places where medical help cannot be immediately given, although the lethal outcome of various snakebites is from 30 minutes to more than 6 hours. Let’s find out which of the most deadliest snakes in the world are on our list.
