page_title: Animal attacks in Australia
section_title: Snakes
hierarchical_section_title: Animal attacks in Australia / Land / Snakes
caption_attribution_description: Tiger snake sunning itself on sand near Petrified Forest on King Island, Australia
context_page_description: Wildlife attacks in Australia occur every year from several different native species, including snakes, spiders, crocodiles, sharks, stingrays and stonefish and a variety of smaller marine creatures such as bluebottles, blue-ringed octopus, cone shells and jellyfish.
context_section_description: Snake attacks in Australia which cause deaths are less common than they used to be due to increased medical knowledge and more readily available antivenom. Around half of all deaths from snakebites are caused by brown snakes. In Australia, the only continent where venomous snakes constitute the majority of species, the kraits, tiger snake and eastern brown snake inflict virtually all reported venomous bites. with the latter responsible for perhaps 60% of deaths caused by snakebite. Although Australian snakes are among the most venomous in the world, wide access to antivenom has made deaths exceedingly rare, with only a few fatalities each year. Australian snakes are known to possess particularly potent venom: 10 of the world's most venomous snakes, as measured by LD₅₀ in mice, inhabit the continent.
  The estimated incidence of snakebites annually in Australia is between 3 and 18 per 100,000 with an average mortality rate of 4 per 100,000 per year. Between 1979 and 1998 there were 53 deaths from snakes, according to data obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Between 1942 and 1950 there were 56 deaths from snakebite recorded in Australia. Of 28 deaths in the 1945–49 period, 18 occurred in Queensland, 6 in New South Wales, 3 in Western Australia and 1 in Tasmania.
  Availability of antivenom has reduced the number of fatalities from tiger snake bite, which previously had caused the most fatalities. Four types of tiger snake ranked among the top 10 of the world's most venomous snakes. The inland taipan is the most venomous land snake in the world, but is only located in remote desert regions. The red-bellied black snake is common, but less venomous than other deadly snakes.
caption: The tiger snake was previously the most deadly snake before antivenom became increasingly available.
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