The Top 10 Deadliest Snakes in Africa

By Larry Slawson

This eBook examines and ranks the 10 deadliest snakes on the African continent.  It provides a brief overview of each snake's behavioral patterns, general traits, and venom toxicity in relation to humans and animals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Larry Slawson
• Release date: Feb 4, 2022

Book preview

LARRY SLAWSON

MAY 2020

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:

This content is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for formal and individualized diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed medical professional. Do not stop or alter your current course of treatment. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

WHAT IS THE DEADLIEST SNAKE IN AFRICA?

Throughout the African continent there exists a number of venomous snakes capable of inflicting serious harm (and death) on the human population at large. From the infamous Boomslang to the deadly Black Mamba, this work ranks the deadliest snakes known to exist in Africa. Included in this brief analysis is a general description of each snake, followed by common bite symptoms and treatment options that are available to snakebite victims. It is the author’s hope that a better (and more complete) understanding of these fascinating snakes will accompany readers following their completion of this work.

Selection Criteria

In order to select (and rank) the deadliest snakes of Africa, a number of basic assumptions was necessary for the extents and purposes of this work. First and foremost, each of the following snakes described were ranked according to their venom toxicity in relation to humans. To measure this effectively, each of the snake’s venom yield (per bite), as well as the mean (average) lethal dose for humans is taken into consideration.

Secondly, each of the snakes were also ranked according to their potential for inflicting life-threatening bites on the human population at large. This criterion was especially important as a number of venomous snakes are capable of controlling their overall venom output (resulting in dry bites that are non-lethal in many cases; thus, skewing the research). Finally, and perhaps most importantly,