Which is the most tocsic snake in the world

Dear lowenfeld-ga,
The most toxic snake is the Fierce Snake, also known as the Inland
Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), which is found in Australia.

"Fierce Snake or Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus ), Australia.
The most toxic venom of any snake. Maximum yield recorded (for one
bite) is 110mg. That would probably be enough to kill over 100 people
or 250,000 mice."
http://www.reptilegardens.com/reptile/topten.html

This site contains an image -
"Oxyuranus microlepidotus (Inland taipan, formerly known as the fierce
snake or western taipan) is far and away the most toxic land snake in
the world, with a lethal dose estimated to be fifty times that of the
Indian cobra Naja naja."
"Taipan venom is overwhelmingly neurotoxic and the bite pathology is
reflective of this with the nervous system being severely affected.
Symptoms include vomiting, flaccid paralysis, and eventual respiratory
paralysis."
http://www.kingsnake.com/toxinology/old/snakes/Oxyuranus/Oxyuranus.html

Snake facts -
"Name: Fierce Snake, aka Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) 
Primary Classification: Elapids (Front-Fanged Snakes) 
Location: Central Australia 
Habitat: Dry plains, ashy downs and grasslands, sheltering in deep soil cracks. 
Diet: Small mammals, such as native rats, almost exclusively. 
Size: Up to 8 ft in length. 
Description: Dark brown to light straw in color. Mustard yellow belly.
Glossy black head. Faint, dark specks or bands, which are more visible
toward the tail.
Conservation Status: Not listed."
http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/crochunter/australiazoo/10mostvenomous.html

Another image, and a map of where the snake may be found.
http://www.avru.unimelb.edu.au/avruweb/Taipans.htm


I hope this answers your question. If it does not, or the answer is
unclear, then please ask for clarification of this research before
rating the answer. I shall respond to the clarification request as
soon as I receive it.
Thank you
answerfinder


most toxic snake
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=most+toxic+snake

---

Clarification of Answer by answerfinder-ga on 29 Jan 2004 08:44 PST

One of my fellow researchers has correctly pointed out to me that
there are sea snakes which may have more toxic venom depending on the
method used to measure toxicity. I am sorry, I took it for granted it
was land snakes you were interested in. I should have clarified the
question with you.

There are some sea snakes with more toxic venom but as one of the
sites I referred to you indicate, there a different opinions on what
is "most toxic".

This site has a number of tables which detail tests carried out on
mice using venom from various snakes and injecting them by various
methods.  Venom is serially diluted until it kills only half the mice
injected with it. It is called lethal dose-50% (LD50) and is measured
in milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

As the author observes the Inland Taipan venom was not tested in two
of the methods. Click on this link to access the various tables.
http://www.kingsnake.com/toxinology/LD50/LD50men.html

For instance, you will see that for Intramuscle, top of league is the
Black Banded Sea Snake
Image
http://village.infoweb.ne.jp/~fwic4591/snake/kobura/text/emadaumi.htm

This site also has a table of LD50 tests and but they state "The only
figure of real interest is the subcutaneous LD50 as few snakes can
ever achieve anything other than that. Some of the larger adders may
penetrate deep enough to inject their venom intramuscularly and in a
very unlucky few cases an intravenous injection may occur.
Intraperitoneal envenomation is highly unlikely outside of the
laboratory."
http://mysite.mweb.co.za/residents/net12980/ld50tot.html

On both tables for subcutaneous LD50, the Inland Taipan is top of the
list. Of course these are tests on mice, not humans.

I hope this has not confused the issue for you but nothing is as
straight forward as it seems when it comes to this question.

answerfinder-ga

Omigod

And to think that I visited the area without even knowing.

Even though it is very venomous, if it hears you coming and YOU leave
it alone, your fairly safe. Here in OZ, there are very few reports of
snakebite from this type. Compared to crowded India which loses about
three thousand people to Cobra bites each year. Please come back and
visit us again.

A tocsic snake sounds very alarming ;-)