Australia is home to some of the deadliest animals in the world. They have the deadliest spiders, deadliest marine life, deadliest crocodiles and of course the deadliest snakes.
What is Australia’s deadliest snake? The eastern brown snake is typically considered Australia’s deadliest snake. They are the second most venomous land snake in the world, and are responsible for an estimated 40% of snakebites there. The inland taipan however, is the most venomous snake in the world. It could also be considered Australia’s deadliest snake, although there have been no confirmed deaths.
Many of Australia’s snakes are some of the deadliest in the world, and there are arguments as to why each one could make the top of any given list.
Here are all of Australia’s deadliest snakes.
- Inland taipan
- Coastal taipan
- Eastern brown snake
- Tiger snake
- Death adder
- Honorable mentions go to
- Lowland copperhead
- Collett’s snake
- King brown
You would think that defining the deadliest snake would be fairly straightforward and simple; that there would be a scientific method to say this snake is deadlier than that one.
Unfortunately it’s not that easy.
When comparing several snakes that can each kill you with a single bite, it doesn’t matter which one is more toxic. You can’t be any more dead than just plain old dead!
This means that you have to take other factors into account such as proximity to humans and your likelihood of being bitten. I wrote an article called Why Do Snakes Bite that explains some of this.
Take the inland taipan for example. This snake is considered the most toxic in the world, however there has never been a single reported fatality from it.
Let’s look at each of these snakes in detail, then I’ll talk more about snakebites in Australia overall.
The Inland Taipan
Also known as the fierce snake, the inland taipan is often considered to be the deadliest snake in Australia.
After all, it is the most toxic snake in the entire world!
One bite from this snake is strong enough to kill 100 grown men! It is nearly three times more lethal than the second deadliest snake on the LD50 SC scale, which is the Dubois’ sea snake.
They grow to an average length of six feet, though specimens of over eight feet have been found, and are located in the flood plains located in central Australia.
Unlike some snake species which bite their victim and then follow it until it dies, this taipan will use it’s body to hold onto its victim, and will bite repeatedly. By doing this, it deeply envenomates its prey, and kills it quickly.
As I said earlier though, there isn’t a single reported fatality caused by this snake.
There are two main reasons for this.
First of all, this snake lives in very remote areas where there is little to no human activity.
Secondly, the inland taipan is rarely seen above ground during the day. It prefers to hide in cracks and crevices, especially during the relentless heat of the day.
Captive breeders of this snake say that it is fairly docile. Despite that, this snake should be treated with extreme caution.
They can strike unexpectedly if they feel threatened, and will often bite multiple times in a single strike. This snake is extremely accurate, and rarely delivers a dry bite.
It has an envenomation rate of over 80%, and even though there are no reported fatalities thanks to antivenom, you have less than a 20% chance to live if you are bitten and don’t receive it.
Quick Fact
There’s a myth out there that certain sea snakes, specifically the Belcher’s sea snake, are actually more toxic than the inland taipan. This is false. This misinformation stems from a 1996 book titled Snakes In Question: The Smithsonian Answer Book which made a mistake. This mistake was later clarified, but not before embedding itself in some people’s minds.
Here is an article I wrote on this species. How fast can an inland taipan kill you?
Coastal Taipan
Since we just talked about the inland taipan, we should follow up with the coastal taipan.
The coastal taipan may not be as lethal as its closest family member, but it is still ranked as the worlds third deadliest land snake, and easily kills with a single bite.
The average length of this snake, which is around 5-7 feet, is only slightly longer than the inland taipan, but it’s enough to give it the title of Australia’s largest venomous snake. Specimens in the 9-11 foot range have also been reported. With a larger body mass, it also weighs more than the inland taipan.
As with all snakes, the coastal taipan prefers a quick exit rather than confrontation when encountered.
The coastal taipan is easily agitated however.
Unless it is given plenty of space to escape, it will stand and fight vigorously. Most people who are attacked come across this snake unexpectedly and are bitten before they even realize it.
The coastal taipan rarely gives a dry bite, envenoming both prey and would be attackers nearly every time it bites.
On top of that, it often bites multiple times, and is known to inject as much venom in the second and third bites as it does in the first.
Each of those bites is enough to kill an adult male several times over.
If left untreated, a venomous bite from this snake is fatal nearly 100% of the time. When I say nearly, I mean only one person has ever been known to survive a venomous bite from this snake without antivenom.
These snakes live close to humans. They are nervous and alert, and will often bite anything that moves near them. On top of that, their venom is extremely lethal, and they inject it nearly every time.
These things certainly make the coastal taipan one of Australia’s deadliest snakes.
Quick Fact 2
Besides being the largest venomous snake in Australia, this snake also has the largest fangs of any venomous snake in Australia. Their fangs average 12mm in length.
Eastern Brown Snake
This snake is a true contender for the deadliest snake in Australia.
The eastern brown snake is the second most toxic land snake in the world behind the inland taipan, and accounts for around 40% of all snakebites in Australia.
On top of that, they are responsible for 60% of all snakebite related deaths there too.
This snake can be found nearly anywhere in the eastern half of Australia, and does not mind living near people. It can often be found hunting for food or sheltering in man made areas such as building materials.
One of the true dangers of this snake, besides their high encounter rate, is the fact that people don’t always realize they’ve actually been bitten. Apart from two puncture marks about a centimeter apart, there is not much in the way of pain.
Quick Fact 3
Despite having such a deadly reputation, this snake actually has very small fangs that only measure around 3mm in length.
On top of that, they usually inject very little venom. Unfortunately it is still enough to kill you with a single bite.
Don’t let a painless bite fool you. This snake can cause you to collapse in as little as two minutes. Most symptoms begin after 15-30 minutes, with death from cardiac arrest or other cardiovascular issues taking place in 2-3 hours.
The eastern brown snake is definitely one of Australia’s deadliest snakes!
Tiger Snake
Ranking number 10 on the LD50 SC list is the tiger snake.
Number 10 still packs a might punch however, capable of killing you with a single bite.
The tiger snake is responsible for 15-20% of snakebites in Australia, and at least four people died between 2005 and 2015 as a result.
These snakes live in wetter areas such as wetlands, creeks and coastal areas. Their main diet consists of marine life such as fish and frogs, as well as some mammals and birds.
They don’t always stick to the water however. Sometimes these snakes are known to climb trees in search of food.
Here’s the good news.
The mortality rate for a bite from this snake that it not treated with antivenom is only around 50%. Not bad considering the previous snakes we’ve discussed all have mortality rates of nearly 100%.
The tiger snake is still considered one of Australia’s deadliest snakes however, because of the fact that it has caused more deaths there than any species other than the brown snake. This snake should not be taken lightly!
Here’s an article I wrote about the aggressiveness of the tiger snake.
Death Adder
With the word “death” right in the name, you know this snake is some serious business!
It drops quite a ways down in terms of toxicity coming in at number 29 on the LD50 SC list. The mortality rate for this snake without antivenom however, is still an impressive 60%.
Fortunately modern medicine and antivenom gives victims a near 100% chance of survival.
So what makes the death adder one of Australia’s deadliest snakes?
Camouflage!
These snakes are ambush hunters. They find a place where prey is likely to come along, then sit and wait. They’ll often go under leaves and brush, where they might sit and wait for days.
This makes the death adder dangerous to adventurous hikers who go out in the bush.
It’s bad enough to be bitten by a venomous snake in the city. Imagine being bitten by one an hour into a hike!
You not only have to hike an hour back, elevating your heart rate and speeding up the venom process, but you then have to make your way back to civilization and the nearest hospital.
The clock is ticking from the moment you are bitten as death can occur in as little as six hours. Definitely not a situation I would like to be in!
Less deadly is still deadly in my opinion, and that makes the death adder one of Australia’s deadliest snakes.
Here’s an article I wrote specifically on this topic titled How Fast Can A Death Adder Kill You?
Quick Fact 4
The death adder has the fastest bite speed of any snake in Australia.
Honorable Mentions
While the snakes described above are the most lethal in Australia, there are a few others which have the potential to kill you with a single bite.
- Lowland copperhead – This snake lives in the colder, more temperate climates of Australia, usually around watery areas. Although there have been several reported bites, and even one fatality, this snake usually just tries to get away and rarely strikes.
- Collett’s snake – Once thought to be only mildly venomous, recent research has shown that this snake is highly toxic. Fortunately it rarely bites unless severely provoked. This snake gets an honorable mention because as one of the most colorful snakes in Australia, it is becoming more popular with captive breeders.
- King Brown – These snakes rarely bite, but when they do they deliver a tremendous dose of venom. Additionally, the king brown snake is the most widely distributed venomous snake in Australia.
Bonus Facts About Lethal Snake Bites In Australia
It’s no secret that Australia is home to some of the worlds deadliest snakes.
Heck, it’s home to many of the worlds deadliest animals like the funnel web spider, box jellyfish and the salt water crocodile. You can even find great white sharks and the blue ringed octopus on its coasts.
You could be forgiven for believing that anywhere you go in Australia is danger fraught, full of vicious animals waiting to eat you.
The truth is far less scary than that.
According to the Australian Venom Research Unit at the University of Melbourne, there are only around 3,000 snakebite cases per year in Australia.
Of those 3,000 only around 450 are bites where the victim is injected with venom.
All in all, only 2-3 people per year in Australia die from snakebites. Even the United States has more than that, averaging five deaths per year despite there being very few local species that are considered lethal.
Conclusion
Hopefully you can now see why there is no single undisputed deadliest snake of Australia.
Is it the inland taipan which is rated the most toxic snake in the world? What about the brown snake which has caused the most deaths in Australia?
The coastal taipan ranks below both of those snakes, but is the most likely to bite. On the other hand, the tiger snake ranks even lower, but has the second highest reported deaths.
At the end of the day does it really matter?
ALL of these snakes are lethal and rank among Australia’s deadliest snakes, and are also considered some of the deadliest in the world.