Venom researcher Peter Mirtschin has published one of the most comprehensive relative toxicity lists for venomous snakes . Most of them contain many different components and some of these are toxic to man. For instance, in the common Tiger Snake venom, Notechis scutatus, there have been at least 6 neurotoxins described,2. Some of the neurotoxins also cause muscle damage. There are also toxins which can cause a drop in blood pressure in this venom.
Most venoms have many components, some of which are known to be toxic to man.
There are also many components in most venoms that are still un-characterised. It is the combined effect of all the components in snake venoms that give it its overall toxicity. In the past, and to a lesser extent today, toxicity was measured by injecting test animals with venoms. Many different types of animals have been used. Today, these types of animal experiments are not performed as much because of animal welfare concerns, however they have been invaluable in understanding the toxicity of both crude venoms and purified single toxins.