The inland taipan, also known as the “fierce snake,” has the most toxic venom of any snake in the world. Its scientific name is Oxyuranus microlepidotus. A bite from this snake releases a powerful mix of toxins called taipoxin. This venom can paralyze muscles, stop a person from breathing, cause internal bleeding, and break down muscle tissue. It’s an extremely dangerous snake, but luckily, it rarely comes into contact with people.

The coastal taipan, known scientifically as Oxyuranus scutellatus, is a close relative of the inland taipan and lives in parts of Australia. Its venom is almost as strong as the inland taipan’s. If someone is bitten and doesn’t get treatment, the snake’s bite can be deadly in over 80% of cases.

The king cobra, or Ophiophagus hannah, is not only the longest venomous snake in the world– it’s also highly dangerous. Its bite delivers a large amount of powerful neurotoxins that can cause paralysis. The venom is so strong and given in such a large dose that it can kill an elephant within a few hours.

The banded krait, or Bungarus fasciatus, is a very venomous snake from the cobra family. It stands out because of its unique body shape, which is triangular in cross-section, and its bold, striped pattern. Its venom is a strong neurotoxin that can cause complete paralysis in the body.

The saw-scaled viper, or Echis carinatus, is believed to cause more human deaths than any other venomous snake. Its venom isn’t the strongest– less than 10% of untreated bites are deadly– but it’s still very dangerous. That’s because this snake is aggressive and often found near people, and it tends to strike quickly and often.

The boomslang, or Dispholidus typus, hides well in trees by blending in and stretching its body out like a branch. It has fangs at the back of its mouth, so it delivers venom by chewing instead of a quick bite. The venom acts slowly but is very dangerous– it causes internal bleeding and can be deadly if not treated.

The banded sea krait, or Laticauda colubrina, is a venomous sea snake with very strong venom. It’s not usually aggressive, but its venom is powerful enough to shut down the nervous system. Although it mostly lives in the ocean, it sometimes comes to shore, which can lead to rare but dangerous encounters with people.