Top 10 Most Dangerous Reptiles on Earth

The green anaconda may be the world’s heaviest snake, but though it certainly could eat a human if it wanted, there has never been a confirmed or recorded case of specifically this happening. Meanwhile, attacks have happened but they are rare. Reticulated pythons, on the other hand – which are the world’s longest snakes – absolutely have been found to have killed and eaten human beings. One notable case happened in Indonesia in 2018 when a grown woman was constricted and eaten by a twenty-three-foot reticulated python. They’re also popular pets, but their large size means that many people simply let them loose rather than continue to look after them – which has made them an invasive species in some parts of the world.

Living in the Amazon basin, the black caiman is one of the biggest crocodilians you’ll find in the Americas. On average, they’re about 16 feet long, but specimens up to 20 feet long have also been found. They are the Amazon’s apex predator and are bigger than even the Amazon’s biggest cat, the jaguar. They are, thankfully, easily identifiable, not only because of their size but also because, as the name would suggest, they’re often very dark colors rather than the lighter shades of green you associate with alligators and crocodiles. If you do see one during your Amazon voyage, it’s best to simply leave it alone.

Like other venomous snakes, puff adders are going to give you plenty of warning before they strike; since they’re much too small to eat a human, they’re only going to bite defensively. However, despite this, they’re still responsible for a huge number of human fatalities each year – in fact, by sheer number, they’re the deadliest snake on the entire African continent. They’ve got an impressive range, living in the Congo and most countries further south, and very strong camouflage. It’s this camouflage that means so many people are killed by them each year; maybe you know to avoid a puff adder, but you can’t avoid something you can’t see.

Africa’s longest lizard, the Nile monitor is found fittingly around the world’s longest river. They’re also another dangerous reptile that can sometimes be kept as a pet – if you really know what you’re doing. While they’re not generally responsible for fatalities because they’re not venomous, there was one particularly harrowing case in 2002 of a man being killed by his pet monitor lizards. However, this happened because he had an untreated bite from the lizards that ended up giving him blood poisoning, making it a preventable tragedy. Nile monitors can be aggressive, and even without venom, they’ve got powerful enough teeth to give you a nasty wound.

Living throughout Africa, the Black Mamba is so named because of its creepy, jet-black mouth and tongue. It’s important to know that that’s the reason so that you don’t see a light-gray or brown snake and assume that it’s not a black mamba – though, if you do encounter one, it will open its mouth to show you before it strikes, to give you a chance to get clear. Antivenom does exist, but you still need to be very close to a hospital; bites in rural areas can often prove fatal. Even if you are treated properly, it can take a long time to fully recover, and the venom’s effects still aren’t fully understood. If you see a snake with a black mouth, back away!

Another venomous snake with a distinct warning, the “saw-scaled viper” is named because of the way it rubs its rough scales together. This creates a loud and distinct noise, a little like a chainsaw. There are twelve different viper species at least that can be called a “saw-scaled viper” because they have this “sawing” trait. All twelve are also venomous and many have very potent venom that can cause blood hemorrhaging. We also don’t have particularly effective antivenom because there are so many species, and the antivenom for one may not help against the other. If you hear that “sizzling” sound, keep away.

The world’s biggest lizard, Komodo dragons are large, angry, carnivorous, and very venomous. They predate not only on a variety of birds and small mammals, but some have even taken to eating the young of other dragons. On the bright side, they have a small range; you’ll find them only in zoos or on a very small number of Indonesian islands – one of which is conveniently called “Komodo”, so you know where to avoid. It is perhaps this range that means they don’t kill too many people, though there have been around two-dozen attacks on humans since the 1970s. If they think you’ll make a good meal, they’re not going to hesitate.

It may be the most famous and recognizable snake in the world, thanks to its potent venom and very distinct hood. And true to its reputation, a bite from a king cobra will almost certainly kill you if you don’t have antivenom to hand – and very quickly, potentially within thirty minutes. One bite contains enough venom to kill twenty people, so time is of the essence if you find yourself the recipient of a cobra’s fangs. Luckily, in areas where the King Cobra is native, local hospitals will have antivenom. Another good thing about facing a cobra is you’ll get quite a lot of warning before it strikes, but remember that they can do this from a huge distance.

The largest reptile on Earth is also one of the most dangerous. Unlike many other dangerous animals, which will generally leave you alone if you don’t bother or step on them, saltwater crocodiles do no such thing. They’re numerous, have huge ranges, and will kill you if you get too close and they happen to be hungry. Roughly 1,000 people are killed by all the species of crocodilian combined each year, and places where crocodiles are endemic, primarily Southeast Asia and Australia, will have warning signs up. They don’t only kill for food, though; they also kill to defend their young. Basically, if you see a crocodile, walk away from it slowly and be extremely cautious.

Potentially the snake with the most potent venom of any, the Inland Taipan is – of course – native to Australia. You can recognize the inland taipan because it’s got a dark black head and a lighter body, which makes it distinct. Unfortunately, there are other snakes that also have black heads, like the black-headed python, that are also found in Australia and aren’t remotely dangerous. The inland taipan’s saving grace is that it’s extremely timid and will be spending most of its time hiding, which makes an encounter with it rare. Still, with venom potent enough to kill 100 adults, that makes it five times deadlier than a cobra – though, of course, it only needs the venom to kill one.