Photo Credited to Wikipedia User AllenMcC.

Taipans have been known to literally throw themselves into their bites. They strike with such ferocity that it sometimes appears that they are lunging. When you combine that ferocity with the potent venom that the taipan has, you can quickly see why it has earned the reputation of one of the deadliest snakes in the world.

The taipan is generally about five feet in length and they have a variable coloration. They can be sand colored or even jet black depending on a number of factors. They usually eat small mammals. An interesting note about the taipan is that they became very prolific due to the poison toads that were introduced into Australia. Because many frog eating snakes died when they ingested these toads, the taipan had less competition for habitat and food. Because of this, the taipan is considered common in it’s range of Northern Australia’s coastline.

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Common Mussurana Size

The common mussurana is usually about 5-6 feet long when fully grown. They are slender but powerful little snakes.

Common Mussurana Habitat

The common mussurana likes to inhabit forests that are located near bodies of water. This sometimes includes swamps, rivers, and even ponds. They have been known to cross these bodies of water as well.

Common Mussurana Prey

The common mussurana likes to eat lizards, birds, and other snakes as well. This includes some snakes that are much more venomous. Some people think that the mussurana is immune to most snake venoms.

Common Mussurana Method of Killing

As mentioned, the mussurana uses venom and constriction, probably depending upon the prey. They will inject a mild venom and hold on, because they have fangs that are located at the back of the mouth instead of the front. For this reason they hold on to their prey to keep them from escaping. This leads to constriction in many cases.

Common Mussurana Distinguishing Marks

The common mussurana is a very unique snake as far as color. They start off as youngsters a bright red color, and as they age they morph into brown and green. As adults they are usually completely black.

Common Mussurana Location

The mussurana is found in South America. They are found in Guatemala as well as Argentina.

Common Mussurana Danger

The mussurana has a fairly mild venom as mentioned, but a bite can be dangerous. Any snakebite should be attended by medical personnel quickly. The mussurana is no exception. They are quick to attempt to bite if mucked with.

Other Information About The Common Mussurana

This snake is one of the many beautiful snakes found in South America. Keep in mind that their are many dangerous snakes there, and that one must be careful when in their range. It is not hard to confuse them with a truly deadly species.

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Water Snake On Log

Common water snakes come in all shapes and sizes. In general, common water snakes know that they are not equipped with venom and so they huff and puff and try to make themselves as imposing as possible. This allows them to survive on a lake or river filled with potential dangers. The cottonmouth is well known even to the wildlife surrounding water sources. Most animals know that the cottonmouth has a dangerous bite, and so they avoid them at all costs.

The common water snakes use this to their advantage. They will often gape their mouths open just like a cottonmouth, and puff up their bodies to make themselves appear more large and dangerous. They also are quick to strike and can deliver a nasty, although non-venomous snake bite.

If you are bitten by a water snake, it is still important that you receive medical attention. The bacteria and other dangers that you encounter with a snake bite is much the same as a bite from any wild animal. They can become infected and that can lead to all kinds of problems.

The key to avoiding these water snakes is to understand their habits. Water snakes like to stay hidden, unless they are sunning themselves. They like to do this on top of rocks, tree stumps, fallen trees and the like. If you are near any of these things, particularly around water, then you should be on the lookout for water snakes. This is also true of the cottonmouth of course.

Another key to avoiding water snakes is to be very aware when boating around the edges of the water. Many times these water snakes are in trees overhanging the water. If you drift by and bump a branch, you could easily have a boating surprise drop down into your vessel.

In spite of their aggressive nature, water snakes are just wanting to get away from you. If you leave them alone, they will follow suit as well.

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Indian Cobra Courtesy of Wikipedia user Kamalnv

The big four venomous snakes in Asia are the four snakes that are most common to kill. These snakes are all quick to bite and can be deadly in a very short period of time.  What truly makes the big four dangerous, however, is the fact that they are all found in and around the human population.  This leads to more venomous snake bites than in most countries, and in turn, more deaths.

Each of these powerful venomous snakes are capable of killing a human, and each of them can be readily found throughout the cities of India.  These venomous snakes are kind of a win/lose situation for the residents there – on the one hand they keep the vermin population in check, and on the other they are deadly if you are bitten.  Anti-venin is available widely throughout India in the event of a snake bite, and is a must if you are bitten by these big four snakes.

You will notice that the lengendary king cobra is not on this list of the big four.  The reason?  The king cobra is a reclusive snake that is content to hang out in the jungle.  For this reason, they do not come in contact with the people of India nearly as often.  Therefore they are not as dangerous.  A bite from a king cobra is as deadly as they come, but they are just much rarer.

Here are some interesting notes about each of the big four venomous snakes of Asia:

The Indian Cobra – also called a monocled cobra.  The Indian cobra is the cobra of legend that has a pair of monocled glasses on it’s back.  They are quite venomous, and will bite readily if you surprise or harrass them.  This is the snake that is used by snake charmers in India.

Russell's Viper Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons User Saleem Hameed

The Russell’s Viper – This snake is one of the most feared snakes in Asia.  One reason is because the snake is so tough to see, and so quick to bite.  They will strike without warning, and deliver a highly potent painful deadly snake bite.  The Russell’s viper is no joke in India.

The Saw-Scaled Viper – This little buggar is interesting in that it sounds much like a small rattlesnake.  The sound that it makes comes from rubbing it’s own scales against one another to create a buzzing noise.  This noise is sure to get people’s attention in India as they know the danger of this highly aggressive viper.

The Common Krait – Another potentially deadly snake that is famous in India.  It appears this

Saw Scaled Viper

snake is prone to climbing into bed with you in pursuit of a rodent or other vermin.  This is not a nightime surprise I would want to experience.  The common Krait is a beautiful but potentially deadly reptile.

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The ball python that I had was a pretty stout one. It went about six feet or so, and was pretty thick around the middle. The snake had always been a very laid back snake, and was not prone to strike in the least. We had no small pets or children in the house, and the ball python does not get terribly large, so we did not worry too much about it getting out of it’s cage. Big mistake….

One morning I woke up and walked over to say good morning. When I did, the lid of the cage had been moved away just enough for the snake to get out, and the ball python was gone! No snake anywhere. I searched that apartment for hours. I started to panic a bit, because the snake could be anywhere. I wasn’t worried about the snake actually harming anyone, but I was worried that an escaped six foot python could alarm the heck out of the neighbors not to mention the snake itself.

After about six hours and several uncomfortable conversations with the neighbors, I gave in and when to work.

I got home that night and started to implement some of the many ideas given to me by coworkers. I tried putting out some food. I tried the ventilation system. I tried the heaters and ducts. I tried everything. After about six more hours, I gave up ever finding that ball python.

I fixed myself some supper, and then got myself propped up in front of the television for the latest “Seinfeld” episode. Then it hit me.

The television is often considered a prime hiding spot for escaped snakes because of the heat source. Not so much the television as under the television. The problem was, the only way to check it out was to stick my head down there and look. Now a six foot python that decides to bite you is not very fun. I figured that it would be a bit cranky and maybe a bit hungry as well. Not a good mixture when you are putting your face down into a small area.

I stuck my head down to peek under the television where there was about three inches of clearance. As soon as I did, my ball python bit me right on the nose. The strike nearly gave me a heart attack. I had never seen him strike unless he was eating and seeing it that close up and personal was a snake bite experience I would have loved to have missed.

I finally got him out of there, but only with the promise of food. I waved a little mouse (dead) in front of the opening and slowly brought it out far enough that I could get him behind the head.

I learned my lesson about escaping snakes that day. From that point forward, I always kept my snake safely tucked away and the locks in place. My nose is now healed, but I will never forget that snake bite.

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Copperhead

Perhaps no other venomous snake in North America is more widely confused than the copperhead.  The copperhead actually has three different subspecies throughout North America.  These subspecies are all quite similar, and all venomous.  The copperhead snake is also the most common snakebite in North America among the dangerous snakes.  This fascinating reptile is not the evil serpent people think.

How Dangerous is The Copperhead

The copperhead has venom that is roughly half the toxicity of a rattlesnake.  Additionally, the copperhead also has relatively small fangs and delivers a much smaller amount of venom.  Because of these factors, the copperhead often is a much less serious snake bite than that of the cottonmouth or rattlesnake.  Still, as with any snake bite, it is considered a medical emergency and can be extremely dangerous.  The copperhead is not a ready biter, but will bite if it feels threatened.  Often, people accidentally step on them due to their fantastic talent of blending with their surroundings.  The vast number of a copperhead bite victims never see the snake.

Copperhead

Where Do You Find The Copperhead

The copperhead is found throughout the United States and is the most widely distributed venomous snake in the country.  They like to hang out in brush, under leaves, and anywhere that they can find a meal.  They are also the most likely venomous snake to encounter around your home.  The copperhead is very adaptive in this way.

What Does The Copperhead Look Like and How Big Do They Get?

A copperhead snake will generally grow to a maximum of about three feet.  They all have copper colored heads, and have a ground color of pink, brown, or even tan depending on the subspecies.  They have triangular shaped heads, and the trademark facial pits that pit vipers are known for.  They also have markings that are smaller around the spine and widen as they go towards the underside of the snake.  These markings are darker than the ground color of the copperhead.

Copperhead

What Does The Copperhead Eat?

The copperhead eats small rodents, vermin and anything else they can capture.  They have been known to kill and eat lizards and other similar types of prey as well.

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