Families of Venomous Snakes
Over 600 species are known to be venomous—about a quarter of all snake species. The following table lists some major species.
| Family | Description |
|---|---|
| Atractaspididae (atractaspidids) | Burrowing asps, mole vipers, stiletto snakes |
| Colubridae (colubrids) | Most are harmless, but others have toxic saliva and at least five species, including the boomslang (Dispholidus typus), have caused human fatalities. |
| Elapidae (elapids) | Sea snakes, taipans, brown snakes, mambas, coral snakes, kraits, king cobra, death adders, tiger snakes, and cobras |
| Viperidae (viperids) | True vipers, including the Russell's viper, saw-scaled vipers, puff adders and pit vipers, including rattlesnakes, lanceheads, and copperheads and cottonmouths. |
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