Australia's most deadly snakes

[norris]

But that means nothing if they only inject a 1/1000th of a drop when they bite. I'm not saying thats how much they inject but the amount of venom they do inject is important too. This isn't a most venomous thread, its a most dangerous thread. I guess it depends on how you define "most dangerous".

 

[salebrosus]

Simone, that was a Feirce Snake that bite John, not a Coastal Taipan. It was believed at the time the snake only injected a tiny amount of venom.

Interesting read from the only survivor of a Taipan bite before 1955 in the previous post. The story has been slightly altered over the last 60years, but at least the Chisel was actually used. We were also told the young Aborigional youth never regained his former fitness. It appears from the thread this was true.

Oops, its been so long since i saw that doco. Thanks for correcting me.

Simone.

 

[Supertaipan]

So if we are looking at the most dangerous snake in the world, its the coastal taipan? Is this because it has the largest fangs, and if provoked will attack more aggresively than any other aussie snake?

 

[norris]

...and because 100% (roughly anyway) of bites before anti venom resulted in death.

 

[Supertaipan]

So Australia has the most deadly and most dangerous snakes, the Inland and Coastal Taipans, Ive heard a new Taipan species has been discovered, wonder where it will fit in?

 

[sezza]

I just read this (do to with coastal taipans killing 100% of bitten people before antivenom came along)....

"I’m the only person to have survived Taipan bite without the serum (antivenom)"

http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/features/snakes/taipan/survivorsgr.asp


Although he was declared dead 4 times.....

I know him! He married my parents and we used to live up north. Great man, full of life!!!

 

[TANN-MANN]

1. That man which was bitten had lots of help, blood drained, the wound cared for, and the venom didn't spread. If he was on his own and left with no care for 15 minutes, no blood transfusions, he would have been very dead indeed.

I was under the impression that venom spread through the muscle tissue and had bugger all to do with blood flow??? thats why they say cutting/sucking a bite will do absolutely nothing as its already in the body.

another thing, the Sydney funnel web spider uses neurotoxins, how can it be that it is incredibly deadly to primates yet a cat will barely react (from what I hear, haven't researched this one)

 

[ravensgait]

And here I thought North America had the most deadly snakes !! we call them Attorney's LOL couldn't resist..

 

[Just_Joshin]

The following list is based off of a sub-cutaneous LD50 rating of venom toxicity from envenomation by LAND snakes only. It does not take into account the sea snakes/kraits of which come in #2, 3, 4 respectively. The reason for using sub-cutaneous is that in 99% of snake bites, this is the form of envenomation that results from the bite, therefore the most appropriate to base the results upon.

1. Inland Taipan
2. Eastern Brown
3. Coastal Taipan
4. Peninsular Tiger Snake
5. Saw Scaled Viper
6. Western Tiger Snake
7. Tiger Rattle Snake
8. Mainland Tiget Snake
9. Chinese Cobra
10. Black Mamba

The yield of venom must also be taken into account, however. These rating are based upon equal yields. In reality, althought the Easter Brown is 2.5 times for venomous than the caostal taipan, the coastal taipan may inject 20-30 times more venom. Therefore injecting a dose that is 8-12 times for lethal.

The type of venom should also be taken into account. The main types: Neurotoxic, Haemotoxic and cytotoxic all have varying effects. Neuro is fast acting and highly toxic, Haemo is much slower acting and Cyto is also slow and much less likely to kill you than the other 2.

 

[Just_Joshin]

I was under the impression that venom spread through the muscle tissue and had bugger all to do with blood flow??? thats why they say cutting/sucking a bite will do absolutely nothing as its already in the body.

another thing, the Sydney funnel web spider uses neurotoxins, how can it be that it is incredibly deadly to primates yet a cat will barely react (from what I hear, haven't researched this one)

In most cases envenomations are subcutaneous, therefore travel through the lymphatic system NOT the systemic circulation (blood stream). If you were to receive an intra-venous envenomation (blood stream) then there is bugger all that can be done as it'll hit your heart most likely before you can receive medical attention. Also Intra-muscular injections are very rare and basically non-existant among Australian snake as fang length is much to small. Only large specimens of vipers and rattlers are capable of true intra-muscular envenomations (i.e Large Gaboon vipers or tiger rattle snakes). These snakes are also primarily cytotoxic and therefore cause cell death of the surrounding tissue, hence why suction is commonly applied (to try and minimise necrosis NOT stop it all together). This should only ever be done with a suction device as sucking on the bite site will almost definately cause you to envenomate yourself through a cute, scratch or ulcers you may have in your mouth.

That is the reason Pressure-immobilisation is used for snake bites. Doing so restricts the flow of the lymphatic system. This drastically reduces that time it takes for the venom to reach your systemic Circulation (at which point you are in trouble).

The venom travels through the lymphatic system, up to the Thoracic Duct. The thoracic duct then feeds into the Left Subclavian vein and into the super vena cava. The super vena cava leads directly into your heart then begins pumping the venom all around your body (the point at which your in trouble).

 

[shlanger]

Most dangerous snake!

All very well to theorise on the most dangerous. I reckon the most dangerous snake is the one that bites you! Here in central Vic., during April '07, at a place called Mt Alexander, a bloke was bitten by, and died from, the bite of a Little Whip Snake,[Parasuta flagellum], Wilson and Swan,
page 426. My advice, 'don't get bit by any of them'!

 

[croc_hunter_penny]

... My advice, 'don't get bit by any of them'!

Advice that I plan to follow :lol:

 

[rayjcollins]

Australia has 10 of the worlds 10 most dangerous snakes.
the list below is of the top 23
World’s Most Venomous Snakes
In order of lethal potency

* Not Australian snakes

1. Small-scaled snake
2. Brown snake
3. Taipan
4. Tiger snake
5. Reevesby Island tiger snake
6. Beaked sea snake
7. Western Australian tiger snake
8. Chappell Island tiger snake
9. Death adder
10. Gwardar
11. Australian copperhead
12. Indian Cobra*
13. Dugite
14. Papuan blacksnake
15. Yellow-banded snake
16. Rough-scaled snake
17. King Cobra*
18. Blue-bellied black snake
19. Collet’s snake
20. King brown snake
21. Red-bellied black snake
22. Small-eyed snake
23. Eastern diamond-back rattlesnake*
http://www.deadlyaustralians.com.au/da_venomous_snakes.htm
Ray

 

[natrix]

I'm not 100% sure but i was under the impression that a black mamba was a lot more serious than a red belly black .

 

[rayjcollins]

I’m the only person to have survived Taipan bite without the serum (antivenom)

There was another man I can recall about 30 years ago in the Bundaberg district. His name was Ran Chandler. He was a snake handler who used to go around the schools doing demonstrations. he had been bitten so many times he built up an immunity to many snake venoms including the taipan and western taipan. He eventually died through the administration of anti venom, at the age of 90.
ray

 

[BIG RYANO]

Ram was only ever bitten once by a Taipan, and required anti-venom to survive.
He did not die from recieving anti-venom. Ram never built up immunity from any snake. In most of his bites he needed anti-venom to pull thru. He lived in the Mackay district.

 

[Miss_Croft]

Womanator – You have given a great description of the anatomy of a snake bite.

I just wanted to add the most dangerous snakes in the world are in Asia. They are the Asian Cobra (I think this would be the spectacle cobra and the Russell's Viper. These two snakes kill over a thousand times more people than the Australian (or US snakes). I think it is due to them standing ground and defend them self instead of keeping away from humans (As snakes generally do here in Australia. Also Australian snakes often give dry bites or just bump instead of biting.

Saw Russell’s viper in Thailand along with some other cool snakes (Siamese cobra, Mangrove snake, Burmese pythons, Reticulated pythons – lots of vipers and a cobra that would strike at anything) . Loved the King Cobra (Not really a cobra) I sort of got a little close to the one on display even the handler backed off. Got to love Thailand and how your life is your responsibility. The photos from that day were average due to poor lighting.

shlanger – Whip snakes have killed a few people at Mt Alexander – Sort of a wakeup call – as a kid we used to catch whip snakes and handle them much you would handle a python or legless lizard. Still here to tell the tail.

 

[JasonL]

I'd rather be bitte by most of those snakes in the top 10 than a Russells, sure you should live, without the limb it bit you on, as it rotted off...errr

 

[Miss_Croft]

Big Ryano – Below is a link to the Bangkok snake farm (this is s true snake farm where they keep their snakes in good condition – not one of the private zoos that torture animals). I think this is the second oldest snake farm (One an Argentina is older).

http://www.thailandguidebook.com/snakefarm.html

The handler milking the snake (What appears to be a Siamese cobra) says he injects snake venom to protect against snake bite – I also think he is well over 6 years of age. (you will not see any statement of this in this article). I cannot remember seeing these guys using hooks or any other handling equipment and they were all wearing open shoes – The guy in the green shirt is holding a king cobra – very large snake – they say it has up to a 5” bite (12.5 cm bite) and it normally eats other snakes and reptiles.

You may be able to build up immunity if you inject venom (But I am not suggesting you try this at home).

 

[JasonL]

Banded Krait