Several other Australian snakes feature in the top 10. Based on the median lethal dose - the standard measurement for how deadly a toxin is - the Australian inland taipan is ranked number one in the world. Australia has the deadliest snakes in the worldĪpproximately 20% of the world’s 3,800-plus snake species are venomous.
Remarkably, these snakes can also assess whether a given newt is too toxic for them to handle, and so will avoid it. The newt’s toxin accumulates in the snake’s liver, and effectively makes this non-venomous snake species poisonous if another animal or human eats it. The toxins from the rough-skinned newt can stay in a garter snake’s liver for up to a month. For example, the American garter snake preys on the rough-skinned newt which contains a powerful toxin. Snakes, therefore, are generally venomous, not poisonous.īut there are exceptions. For venom to work, it needs a wound to enter the body and into the bloodstream. Venom is a specialised type of poison that has evolved for a specific purpose. If you eat or ingest a toxic plant or animal, it’s said to be poisonous, whereas if an animal stings or bites you and you get sick, it’s venomous. While the term poisonous and venomous are often used interchangeably, they mean quite different things. In fact, many snakes feed on lizards, including brown snakes which, despite a preference for mammal prey as adults, won’t hesitate to have a blue tongue for lunch. There is also no evidence blue-tongue lizards prey upon or scare brown snakes. Overall, no scientific evidence suggests one suppresses the other. There are many reported examples of brown snakes killing black snakes, too. This myth probably originates from observations of black snakes eating brown snakes (which they do).īut it’s not one-way traffic. The myth goes that if you see a red-bellied black snake or a blue-tongue lizard on your property, you’re unlikely to see the highly venomous brown snake, because black snakes keep brown snakes at bay. This is a common old wives’ tale in southern Australia. Black snakes and blue tongue lizards keep brown snakes away With snakes on the move this season, people and pets are more likely to spot them.ġ. So let’s debunk six misconceptions we, as wildlife ecologists, often hear. I’ve always wondered: who would win in a fight between the Black Mamba and the Inland Taipan?Īs is so often the case with wildlife, the myths pale in comparison to what science has shown us about these incredible creatures. But knowing what’s fact and fiction gets harder with each retelling. Our interactions with snakes are conversation starters, with yarns told and retold. But don’t be alarmed if you spot one, it’s hard to imagine a more misunderstood group of animals than snakes. Michael, Charles Sturt University Dale Nimmo, Charles Sturt University, and Skye Wassens, Charles Sturt UniversityĪs we settle into spring and temperatures rise, snakes are emerging from their winter hideouts to bask in the sun. Does Australia really have the deadliest snakes? We debunk 6 common mythsĭamian R.
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