When you think of deadly snakes, you probably envision ones like the black mamba from Africa, the king cobra from Asia, or any number of snakes from Australia.
Most people don’t think of Europe when considering deadly snakes. And for good reason!
What is the deadliest snake in Europe? The nose-horned viper (vipera ammodytes) is considered the deadliest snake in Europe. They are relatively large in size at around three feet long, have 13mm long fangs, and their venom is highly toxic. The mortality rate of the nose-horned viper is around 4% if the bite is not treated.
Compare that to the copperhead snake found in North America which has a mortality rate of .01%, and you can see the nose-horned viper is much more toxic.
Compare it to the eastern diamond back rattlesnake however, which has a mortality rate of 20% – 40% if left untreated, and you see it is not really all that deadly.
Snakes That Bite The Most People In Europe
Although there are approximately 17 different venomous snakes found throughout Europe, the majority of bites only come from three.
The coastal viper, nose-horned viper and the asp viper.
The coastal viper (Vipera xanthina) can be found in northeastern Greece, European Turkey and in some Aegean Sea islands.
They typically grow 2-3 feet in length, and are known to be fairly aggressive, rarely giving a dry bite. This aggression coupled with their fairly large population leads to numerous bites.
The nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes) can be found in southern Europe throughout northern Italy, the Balkans and into the Middle East.
Although these snakes are typically mild mannered, they are fairly wide spread and can often be found in and around heavily populated areas. This leads to more human interaction, causing more bites.
The asp viper (Vipera aspis) could be a contender for the deadliest snake in Europe. Like the nose-horned viper, it too has fairly potent venom and a mortality rate around 4% if the bite is left untreated.
They can be found throughout all of Italy, most of France, and parts of Spain and Germany. Nearly 90% of all venomous snake bites in Italy are presumed to be caused by the asp viper.
Snakes That Cause The Most Deaths In Europe
With all of the information we’ve uncovered so far, which snake do you think is our culprit?
Is it the asp viper? Is it the nose-horned viper?
The answer might surprise you!
Which snake causes the most deaths in Europe? There are actually two snakes that cause the most deaths in Europe. The first is any snake which has venom that you are allergic to. The second is any highly venomous snake kept by amateur herpetologists and collectors. There are only 1-4 deaths per year caused by native snakes, with some years having zero.
That’s right!
There are very rarely any deaths caused by native European snakes. When there is, it is usually caused by an allergic reaction.
Most deaths related to venomous snake bites in Europe are caused by snakes such as cobras, black mambas and other deadly species.
Hospitals throughout Europe are typically equipped to handle local snake bites, but can be caught off guard by something foreign such as a black mamba.
Amateur keepers of venomous snakes should always find out which hospitals have the proper antivenin (also known as antivenom), and keep a list of them as well as emergency procedures in case they are ever bitten and incapacitated.
I give a breakdown of this in my article about keeping the North American copperhead snake.
Success Of European Antivenin
We now know that there are very few deaths related to venomous snake bites in Europe. This isn’t just because most venomous snakes in Europe have mild venom though.
With more than one species of venomous snake in Europe causing death in 4% of the people who leave the bite untreated, there could still easily be dozens if not hundreds of deaths per year from local snake bites.
Europe’s success in creating and administering antivenin has saved countless lives over the years.
If you are ever bitten by a snake, seek medical attention immediately. Even non-venomous snakes can cause severe infections if left untreated.
You should also take a picture of the snake that bit you if you are safely able to do so. This gives medical staff the chance to identify the snake, and provide the correct treatment.
Other Venomous Snakes In Europe
We’ve mentioned the deadliest snakes in Europe, but there are several other venomous snakes that are worth mentioning.
Here is a quick rundown of some other venomous snakes that can be found throughout Europe.
- European adder (Vipera berus) – Probably the most well known and widespread venomous snake in Europe. It is the only venomous snake found in Britain.
- Halys pit viper (Gloydius halys) – They can be found in eastern Russia, and on into Asia.
- Lataste’s viper (Vipera latastei) – Found in Portugal and Spain, this species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to habitat loss.
- Nikolsky’s adder (Vipera nikolskii) – Also known as the “forest-steppe adder”, this snake can be found in Ukraine, Romania and southwestern Russia.
- Milos viper (Macrovipera schweizeri) – This snake can be found on several Greek islands, and is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
- Seoane’s viper (Vipera seoanei) – These snakes are also known as the Baskian viper, Iberian cross adder and Portuguese viper. They can be found in southwestern France as well as northern Spain and Portugal.
- Ursini’s viper (Vipera ursinii) – Also known as the meadow viper, this snake is fairly rare, and is in danger of becoming extinct. They are found in France, Italy and Greece.
- Walser viper (Vipera walser) – This snake has perhaps the most isolated range of any species in Europe. They can only be found in a small area of Italy, north of a town called Biella.
Summary
While Europe may not be the first place you think of when looking for venomous snakes, they aren’t entirely free of the dangers.
Most of the species there are only mildly venomous, but there are a few snakes in Europe which can truly be considered deadly.
Check out our snake category if you want to learn more about deadly snakes throughout the world.