Snake Venom

[SilentKnight]

What is the most venomous snake known? I know that Australia's inland taipan is the most venomous land snake, but what is the most venomous snake of all time? I'd think it'd be a sea snake since they're generally some of the most venomous snakes in the world.

[aha]

The common trouser snake.


just kiddin..

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"I'm the best there is Fats. Even if you beat me, I'm still the best."
(Paul Newman in The Hustler)

[Ursa Major]

Depends on how you define "most venomous".

There are two ways to look at the situation. One, to consider LD50 as well as venom yeild or, to look at just murine LD50s (these are usually what people are asking about regarding most venomous... drop for drop

http://www.uq.edu.au/~ddbfry/snakes/venomlist.html

The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), hooknosed sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa), and Russel's viper (Vipera russelii) are all contenders for this honor based on the strength of their venoms. The strength of venom is determined by looking at the dosage of venom that kills 50% of a sample of mice within 24 hours. Of course, this amount is only important to us if the mice have the same susceptibilities to the venoms as we do. And while sea snakes are terribly venomous, they must be provoked to attack and rarely do. http://www.aqua.org/animals/species/venom/venfaq.html

[siva]

I'm not sure if i'm right. Venomous snakes are different from snake to snake. Some venom affects the respiratory system some affect the nervous system. The King Cobra's venom affects both. i'm not sure if it's the only snake that is capable of this. But thats some serious shit

[siva]

I have to add this, if by name the snake i dread is the Death Atter

[Alphagene]

siva, venom that attacks the nervous system can paralyze the muscles of respiratory system. The respiratory effects are secondary to the inhibition of the nervous system.

The links Ursa gave are very good.

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Gypsy: Tom, I don't get you.
Tom Servo: Nobody does. I'm the wind, baby.

[Jorge]

Siva, what you may have been getting at: the two classes of venom found in snakes are hemotoxins and neurotoxins. The few snakes that have both are not terribly toxic in either type (Boiga irregularis is an example).

Snakes with dangerously strong hemotoxins include the fer-de-lance and cascabels, Central American crotalids (like rattlesnakes). They are very dangerous, both because of their toxicity and their behavior (circumstances where they might cross humans, choice of habitat, bite-happy orneriness, amount of venom and the likelihood of using it).

Most neurotoxic-venom toting snakes are more stingy with their use of toxin: it tends to be saved for food rather than defense, so a lower proportion of bites actually inject venom. They are usually less of a threat in their habitat, although the Russell's and the taipan are exceptions, being both especially toxic and ornery.

Another factor is available stored venom vrs. rea- or forward-fanged: you are less likely to get a hot bite off a rear-fanged sea snake than a front-fanged rattler, with its greater quantities of "weaker" venom.

So, as everyone has pointed out so far, it's all rather relative - what do you mean by "most venomous" - but microliter for microliter, the seasnakes have the highest LD50 if I recall correctly; taipan for terrestrial snakes.