Most Venomous Snakes in the World
What determines the world’s deadliest snake is different than what determines the world’s most venomous snake. Venom is a complex subject (see Snake Venom), and snake venom works differently on different creatures. But for the purposes of this page, we’ve listed the most toxic venom based on the lethal dose to mice, called the LD50.
The list of the most venomous snakes according to a compilation by Ernst and Zug (1996).
| Species | LD 50 mg/kg | mg Venom yield |
| Hook-nosed sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa) | 0.02 | 7.0 – 79.0 |
| Russel’s Viper (Vipera russelii) | 0.03 | 130.0 – 250.0 |
| Inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) | 0.03 | 44.0 – 110.0 |
| Dubois’s reef sea snake (Aipysurus duboisii) | 0.04 | 0.7 |
| Eastern brownsnake (Pseudechis textilis) | 0.05 | 2.0 – 67.0 |
| Black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) | 0.05 | 50.0 – 100.0 |
| Tiger rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris) | 0.06 | 6.0 – 11.0 |
| Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) | 0.07 | 1.6 – 8.0 |
| Yellow-bellied seasnake (Pelamis platurus) | 0.07 | 1.0 – 4.0 |
| Common Indian krait (Bungarus caeruleus) | 0.09 | 8.0 – 20.0 |
| Desert horned viper (Cerastes cerastes) | 0.1 | 20.0 – 45.0 |
| Common taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) | 0.1 | 120 – 400 |
| Common European viper (Vipera berus) | 0.11 | 10.0 – 18.0 |
| Tigersnake (Notechis scutatus) | 0.12 | 35.0 – 189.0 |
| Forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) | 0.12 | ? |
| Puffadder (Bitis arietans) | 0.14 | 100.0 – 350.0 |
| Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) | 0.14 | 350.0 – 600.0 |
| Seakrait (Laticauda laticaudata) | 0.16 | ? |
| Neotropical rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) | 0.17 | 20.0 -100.0 |
| Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) | 0.18 | 50.0 – 150.0 |
| Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) | 0.19 | 175.0 – 300.0 |
| Harlequin coralsnake (Micrurus fulvius) | 0.2 | 3.0 – 5.0 |
| Ottoman viper (Vipera xanthina) | 0.2 | 8.0 – 18.0 |
| Erabu seakrait (Laticauda semifasciata) | 0.21 | 2.0 – 14.0 |
| African birdsnake (Thelotornis kirtlandii) | 0.21 | ? |
| Ringhal (Hemachatus haemachatus) | 0.22 | 80.0 – 120.0 |
| Olive seasnake (Aipysurus laevis) | 0.22 | 10.0 – 33.0 |
| Black-necked cobra (Naja nigricollis) | 0.23 | 150.0 – 350.0 |
| Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) | 0.24 | 5.0 – 48.0 |
| Common mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) | 0.26 | 60.0 – 95.0 |
| Bar-bellied seasnake (Hydrophis elegans) | 0.27 | 9.0 – 24.0 |
| Spectacled cobra (Naja naja) | 0.28 | 150.0 – 600.0 |
| Annulated seasnake (Hydrophis cyanocinctus) | 0.35 | 5.0 – 8.0 |
| Fer-de-lance (Bothrops atrox) | 0.35 | 100.0 – 200.0 |
| White-lipped tree pitviper (Trimeresurus albolabris) | 0.37 | 8.0 – 15.0 |
| Hundred-pace pitviper (Deinagkistrodon acutus) | 0.38 | ? |
| Central American coralsnake (Micrurus nigrocinctus) | 0.4 | 5.0 – 8.0 |
| Northern moleviper (Atractaspis microlepidota) | ? | 5.0 – 10.0 |
| Yellow-lipped seakrait (Laticauda colubrina) | 0.4 | ? |
| Jararacussu (Bothrops jararacussu) | 0.46 | 200.0 – 321.0 |
| Nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes) | 0.48 | ? |
| Common blacksnake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) | 0.5 | 30.0 – 50.0 |
| Deathadder (Acanthophis antarcticus) | 0.6 | 70.0 – 236.0 |
| Hardwicke’s seasnake (Lapemis curtus) | 0.62 | 2.4 – 15.0 |
| Southern coralsnake (Micrurus frontalis) | 0.63 | 20.0 – 30.0 |
| Blunt-nosed viper (Vipera lebetina) | 0.64 | 12.0 – 150.0 |
| Wagler’s pitviper (Tropidolaemus wagleri) | 0.75 | 65.0 – 90.0 |
| Cantil (Agkistrodon bilineatus) | 0.8 | 50.0 – 95.0 |
| King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) | 0.9 | 350.0 – 500 |
| Twin-spotted rattlesnake (Crotalus pricei) | 0.95 | 4.0 – 8.0 |
| European asp (Vipera aspis) | 1 | 9.0 – 10.0 |
| Western rattlesnake (Croatalus viridis) | 1.01 | 35.0 – 250.0 |
| Terciopelo (Bothrops aspera) | 1.1 | 100 – 310 |
| Jararaca (Bothrops jararaca) | 1.1 | 40.0 – 70.0 |
| Banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) | 1.2 | 20.0 – 114.0 |
| Mamushi (Agkistrodon blomhoffii) | 1.2 | 1.0 – 7.0 |
| Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) | 1.2 | 200.0 – 850.0 |
| Malayan pitviper (Calloselasma rhodostoma) | 1.24 | 40.0 – 60.0 |
| Picados pitviper (Porthidium picadoi) | 1.33 | 5.0 – 70.0 |
| Eyelash palm pitviper (Bothriechis schlegelii) | 1.6 | 10.0 – 20.0 |
| Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) | 1.64 | 75.0 – 210.0 |
| Common nightadder (Causus rhombeatus) | 1.85 | 20.0 – 30.0 |
| Lowland copperhead (Austrelaps superbus) | 2 | ? |
| Urutu (Bothrops alternatus) | 2 | 60.0 – 100.0 |
| Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) | 2.04 | 80.0 – 170.0 |
| Orsini’s viper (Vipera ursinii) | 2.17 | 1.0 – 4.0 |
| Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) | 2.2 | 175.0 – 600.0 |
| Jumping pitviper (Porthidium nummifer) | 2.4 | 40.0 – 60.0 |
| Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes) | 2.6 | 18.0 – 50.0 |
| Pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) | 2.8 | 12.0 – 35.0 |
| Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) | 2.9 | 15.0 – 45.0 |
| Okinawa habu (Trimeresurus flavoviridis) | 3.05 | ? |
| Red diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) | 3.7 | 120 – 450 |
| Speckled palm pitviper (Bothriechis lateralis) | 4 | 10.0 – 20.0 |
| Bushmaster (Lachesis muta) | 4.5 | 200 – 500 |
| Rainforest hognosed pitviper (Porthidium nasutum) | 4.6 | 12.0 – 25.0 |
| Side-striped palm pitviper (Bothriechis lateralis) | 4.84 | 10.0 – 20.0 |
| Slender hognosed pitviper (Porthidium ophryomegas) | 6.3 | 10.0 – 20.0 |
| Godman’s pitviper (Porthidium godmani) | 7.6 | 10.0 – 20.0 |
| Rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus) | 9 | 129 |
| Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) | 10.9 | 40.0 – 75.0 |
