Snakes. These serpentine reptiles can have even the toughest people jumping on tables and chairs in fear. Thankfully, most of these slithery creatures have a hiss worse than their bite. To be more precise, out of nearly 3500 species of snakes found across the globe, approximately 700 are venomous (and mercifully, only 250 are truly deadly).
To the rest of the animal kingdom (including us), that are vulnerable to their venom, it seems like we could do without these vicious vipers. But they are not only an intrinsic part of each existing ecosystem, they are also a stunningly beautiful addition to all that nature has to offer. Here are 15 of the most aesthetically appealing venomous snakes out there.
(By Thomas Brown, Wikimedia Commons)
Found in Southeast Asia and Southern and Central China.
2. Eastern Green Mamba
(Picture taken by deror avi, Wikimedia Commons)
You can find this striped snake in East and Southern African.
3. Western Green Mamba
(By User:Haplochromis, Wikimedia Commons)
These almost-dragons are found in Western Africa, and reside in thick coastal tropical rainforests or woodland regions.
4. Coastal Taipan
(By AllenMcC, Wikimedia Commons)
This red beauty is found in the Northern and Eastern Coastal Regions of Australia, and the island of New Guinea.
5. Blue Malayan Coral Snake
(By LinasD, Wikimedia Commons)
A sleek slithery serpent that's native to Southeast Asia.
6. Jararaca
(By Dick Culbert, Wikimedia Commons)
This snake calls various parts of South America including Paraguay, Southern Brazil and Northern Argentina.
7. Eyelash Viper
(By Pavel Kirillov, Wikimedia Commons)
This funky looking face is found in South and Central America.
8. Rattlesnake
This common and deadly serpent is found in Northern Mexico and South-Western United States, as well as many other places as far east as New York State. You can find Prairie rattlesnakes in the central states and pygmy rattlesnakes in the southeastern states.
9. Egyptian Cobra
(By safaritravelplus, Wikimedia Commons)
This Cobra is mostly prevalent in Asia, more specifically Southern China, Burma, Philippines, Malaysia and India.
10. Beet’s Tiger Snake
(By Vernon Swanepoel, Wikimedia Commons)
This spotted delight is found only Tasmania and Southern Australia
11. Russell’s Viper
(By Saleem Hameed, Wikimedia Commons)
Here's one deadly viper found across Asia, from India to Java and Taiwan.
12. Black Adder/ Common European Adder
(By CSIRO, Wikimedia Commons)
The deadly black adder has spread itself around and is found in Eastern Asia and Western Europe.
13. Boomslang
(By frank wouters, Wikimedia Commons)
This bright burst of green is found in the Southern part of Africa, i.e., South Africa, Mozambique, and Namibia.
14. Philippine Cobra
(By Mario Lutz, Wikimedia Commons)
As the name would suggest, this stunning serpent is found in various parts of the Philippines.
15. Saw-Scaled Viper
(By Jnprasad2001, Wikimedia Commons)
You'll find these slithering patterns in a variety of places, including the Middle East (and the Far East), India, and even some African countries.
16. Coral Snake
(By Everglades NPS, Wikimedia Commons)
What a show of color and coordination. This snake is found in the trail starting from Central and Southern Arizona, deep southwest New Mexico, as well as south and western Mexico.
17. Inland Taipan
(By Bjoertvedt, Wikimedia Commons)
This is amongst the most deadliest snakes on the planet, and thankfully resides only in semi-arid regions of Central America.
18. Bushmaster
(By Christopher Murray, Wikimedia Commons)
This brown and black glory is found mostly in Central America, like Brazil, Ecuador and Costa Rica.
19. Black Mamba
(By Fcbaum, Wikimedia Commons)
This deadly snake is native to Eastern and Southwest Africa, as well as Souther Ethiopia.
20. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
(By Everglades NPS, Wikimedia Commons)
This prettily patterned snake is commonly found coasts of North Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Eastern Louisiana, and finally the Pinelands of Florida.
Related Article:
Guide to Surviving a Snake Encounter