8. Black Mamba – Africa’s fastest moving snake: Famous for its elongated, jet-black body and incredible moving speed, the Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) deserves to be called the “speed king”. ” of the African continent. 

This poisonous snake not only terrifies small animals but also makes humans wary because of its lightning-fast attack ability and extremely strong venom. The most prominent feature of the Black Mamba is its extraordinary movement speed. They can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h on the ground, equivalent to the speed of a moving bicycle.

This ability helps the Black Mamba easily chase and take down prey, while avoiding dangerous predators. 

The Black Mamba’s venom is a powerful weapon, containing neurotoxins that can cause muscle paralysis and lead to death within just 20 minutes if not treated promptly. One bite of a Black Mamba can inject enough venom to kill 10 adults. 

7. – Australia’s fastest attacking snake: Hidden in the dense forests and vast grasslands of Australia, the Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) is one of the most dangerous and agile snakes in the world. 

Although modest in size, only 60cm to 1 meter long, Death Adder possesses extremely powerful neurotoxic venom. In just one-tenth of a second, this snake can inject venom and bring its jaws back into position. Active attack. And more than half of their venom attacks on humans will result in death if left untreated. 

6. Southern Black Racer – The fastest non-venomous snake in the world: The Southern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) is the fastest non-venomous snake in the world, widely distributed in the Southeast region of the United States. Even though it has no toxins, this snake still attracts the attention of nature observers because of its speed and flexibility. 

With an average length of 3 to 5 feet (about 0.9 to 1.5 meters), the Southern Black Racer can move quickly through grass, grasslands, and forests. They often hunt at night, eating animals such as mice, rabbits, and even other snakes.

 Southern Black Racer deserves the title of “sprinter” of the snake world. With the ability to move up to 20 km/h, it can easily overcome prey or escape from dangerous predators. This speed is achieved thanks to Black Racer’s special body structure, with strong muscles and a flexible spine helping it move smoothly on all terrain. 

5. Yellow-bellied sea snake – The fastest snake in the water: The yellow-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis donaldi) is one of the famous and unique sea snakes. Its scientific name is Pelamis, and they are widely distributed in the Pacific region, especially in the tropics and subtropics. The habitat of the yellow-bellied sea snake is in warm waters, from 16 to 30 degrees Celsius.
The yellow-bellied sea snake has a slender body, up to 3 meters long, helping it move easily in the water environment. Its flat tail acts as a paddle, creating a powerful thrust that helps the snake move at an incredible speed of up to 15 miles/hour (24 km/h).

This swimming ability helps the yellow-bellied sea snake to easily overcome long distances, move from one ocean to another and hunt effectively. Another special feature is that the skin of the yellow-bellied sea snake contains strong venom, which can be fatal. Although not as famous as other sea snakes, the yellow-bellied sea snake deserves attention and protection in the wild. 

4. – The snake with the fastest venom to kill people: Famous for its giant size and extremely strong venom, the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) deserves the title of “king of venom” in the reptile world.

Not only does this snake possess a huge amount of venom, but it also injects venom extremely quickly, making it one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet.

 The king cobra is the longest venomous snake in the world, with a venom dose of up to 7ml in one bite, enough to kill an African elephant in just a few hours and take only 30 minutes to take the life of a human. Its venom contains extremely powerful neurotoxins, capable of attacking the nervous system and muscles of its prey, leading to paralysis, respiratory failure and rapid death. Despite its large size, the king cobra moves surprisingly quickly. It can move at speeds of up to 16 km/h, fast enough to chase and catch up with its prey. Its ability to move quickly and its extremely powerful venom makes the king cobra a successful predator in its habitat.

 3. Cottonmouth – The fastest-strike snake in the US (Strike speed: 2.97 meters per second): Lurking in the swamps and ponds of the southern United States, the Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus), also known as the saltwater snake, is a dangerous predator with lightning-fast attack speed.

Its powerful venom and perfect camouflage make the Cottonmouth a terror to many animals and humans. The Cottonmouth is famous for its ability to attack its prey at an incredible speed. When it feels threatened, it can launch an attack in just 0.3 seconds, much faster than a human blinks.

Thanks to this extraordinary speed, the Cottonmouth can easily take down its prey before they can react. Although Cottonmouth venom is not fatal to humans, it can cause serious damage, including swelling, pain, necrosis, and even loss of limbs.

Its venom contains substances that destroy cells and affect the blood clotting system, causing the bite to lead to dangerous complications if not treated promptly. 

2. Rat Snake:
The rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta), also known as the black rat snake or black garter snake, is a common snake in North America.

This snake is known not only for its large size and docile nature but also for its incredible speed, making it an effective predator in its habitat. The rat snake can move at speeds of up to 15 mph (24 km/h) on the ground. This speed allows it to easily chase and catch its prey, including mice, squirrels, lizards, and small birds. The rat snake uses its slender, flexible body and its ability to twist and bend gracefully to move quickly through dense areas and climb trees skillfully. 

1. Sidewinder – The fastest snake in the world: The sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes), also known as the desert rattlesnake, is famous for its unique ability to move through sand, making it one of the fastest snakes in the world. 

The Sidewinder’s sophisticated hunting skills and powerful venom make it a formidable predator in its harsh desert environment. The secret to the Sidewinder’s speed lies in the unique structure of its scales.

The scales on its belly are asymmetrical, allowing it to “skim” through the sand, minimizing friction and increasing speed. As it moves, the Sidewinder tilts its body to one side, forming an “S” shape and pushing the sand back with its belly scales. Thanks to this unique movement technique, the Sidewinder can reach speeds of up to 18 mph (29 km/h) through the sand, much faster than its prey and predators. While the Sidewinder’s venom is not fatal to humans, it can cause serious damage, including swelling, pain, necrosis, and even loss of limbs. Its venom contains substances that destroy cells and affect the blood clotting system, causing the bite to lead to dangerous complications if not treated promptly.