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Common death adder

Acanthophis antarcticus
Australian snakes๐Ÿฆท Bites
Danger to people: DeadlyOne of the most dangerous animals in the world.

Common death adder belongs to the group: Australian snakes. It lives in: Australia & Oceania.2

Lives in
Australia & Oceania2
Length
60 cm (2 ft)2
typical adult size
Top speed
about 6.2 km/h (3.9 mph)
On land, rough guess
For real!Photo of Common death adder
Common death adder. Photo: John Wombey, CSIRO. CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Venom power

Bites

Venom comes out through its fangs or teeth when it bites.

How dangerous is it to people?

Danger to people: DeadlyOne of the most dangerous animals in the world.

๐Ÿš‘ If it bites or stings

  • Pressure immobilisation: wrap a firm elastic bandage over the bite and then up the whole limb, splint it, and keep the person completely still until help arrives.
  • Do not wash the bite: hospitals can test the venom left on the skin to choose the right antivenom.

Always call your emergency number first (112, 000, 911). This is general first aid guidance, not medical advice. First aid basics

โ›‘๏ธ Stay safe

  • Never touch, catch or tease a wild animal, even a small one, and even if it looks asleep or dead.
  • Give it space. If you meet one, stay calm, step back slowly and let it go its own way.
  • If one bites or stings you: stay calm, keep still, call your emergency number (112, 000, 911) or get to a hospital fast. Remember what it looked like, a photo helps.

It is not out to get you. It uses its venom to catch food or to protect itself, and it would much rather hide. More about staying safe

How big is it?

How long is it?

Common death adder about 60 cm long (2 ft)๐ŸŒA banana about 18 cm (7.1 in)A house cat about 50 cm (1.6 ft)A dog about 1 m (3.3 ft)
as long as 3 bananas end to endcould cover 100 metres in 58 seconds (the fastest human needs 9.6)

How big is Common death adder compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

For venom experts

Scientific name
Acanthophis antarcticus
Group
Australian snakes
Family
Elapidae1
Order
Squamata
Continents
Australia & Oceania
Danger to people
5 / 5: Deadly2

Where the facts come from

  1. Acanthophis antarcticus (iNaturalist): names and classification.
  2. Venom Wiki: the danger level, the typical size and the speed guess are our own. See how we work them out: How we rate danger.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are animal fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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More from the same group: Australian snakes

Also lives in: Australia & Oceania

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