RV FEATURE
THE BIG FOUR
In ranking Australia’s most venomous snakes,
it’s important to note that there’s a difference
between most-venomous and most-deadly.
Australia’s most venomous snake, by virtue of
geography, is not the one that causes the most
fatalities.
It’s perhaps academic to list snakes in order of
venom potency. Frankly, one bite from any of the
following will send you to the hospital or potentially
to your maker. Nonetheless, these are Australia’s
generally-agreed four most venomous snakes.
1. INLAND TAIPAN
Also known as the fierce snake, the reclusive
inland taipan is found in and around where the
borders of Queensland, New South Wales,
South Australia and Northern Territory
come together. It hides in the cracks and
crannies of the desert and, as such, reports
of bites are quite rare. Nonetheless, this
snake is known around the world as the land
snake with the most toxic venom of them
all – one untreated bite is enough to kill an
otherwise healthy adult in less than an hour.
2. EASTERN BROWN SNAKE
Arguably, this is the one feared by most
Australians. Found in bushland, on farms,
and sometimes even in backyards of the
eastern half of the country, the eastern
brown is fast, aggressive, and very
dangerous. In fact, it’s responsible for most
deaths caused by snake-bite in Australia
than any other snake – it’s Australia’s
second-most venomous terrestrial snake,
and the world’s.
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