Snakes have evolved to have venom to take down their prey and defend themselves if need be. Of the 3000 or so species of snakes in the world, 600 of them are known to be venomous. In this article we will go into detail about the types of venom as well as some of the snakes that have these types of venom.

This Review focuses on the chemistry of snake venom and the potential for venom to be exploited for medicinal purposes in the development of drugs.

Learn about the 10 most venomous snakes on the planet, based on their LD50 scores, and how they affect humans and their prey. Find out where they live, what they eat, and how they defend themselves.

Snake venom is a complex mixture of proteins, enzymes, and other bioactive molecules that are specifically tailored to target different organs and systems in the body. One of the main components of snake venom is proteins, these can be divided into three main categories: toxins, enzymes, and non-toxic proteins.

The Snake venom database (SVDB) contains all information on venomous snakes, their venom compositions and functions. There are approximately 375 venomous snake species worldwide.

Snake venoms are mixtures of toxins that vary extensively between and within snake species. This variability has serious consequences for the management of the world’s 1.8 million annual snakebite victims.

Two groups of venomous snakes are particularly well known: vipers and elapids. Broadly speaking, the venoms in these two groups do different things to a bite victim. Vipers have venoms that are generally haemotoxic. This means they attack the circulatory system. They can cause bleeding or interfere with the blood’s ability to clot.

Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or grooved fangs, although some venomous snakes lack well-developed fangs.