Snake Bites
In Australia there are about 3,000 snake bites per year, of which 200 to 500 receive antivenom; on average one or two will prove fatal. About half the deaths are due to bites from the brown snake; the rest mostly from tiger snake, taipan and death adder. Some deaths are sudden, however in fact it is uncommon to die within four hours of a snake bite.

Eastern Brown Snake
The Brown Snake may be found all over Australia. It has extremely potent venom, and although the quantity of venom injected is usually small, this snake causes more snakebite deaths in Australia than any other. Sudden and relatively early deaths have been recorded. It's venom causes severe coagulation disturbances, neurotoxicity, and occasionally nephrotoxicity (by a direct action of the venom), but not rhabdomyolysis. The Gwardir is also known as the western brown snake, and the Dugite is a spotted brown snake found in Western Australia. All need brown snake antivenom.

Taipan

The taipan may be found mostly along the non-desert areas of north and north-east Australia (from Brisbane to Darwin). It is an aggressive, large, slender snake, and may be coloured any shade of brown but always has a rectangular head (large in proportion to the body) and red eye. Venom output is high and causes neurotoxicity, coagulopathy, and rhabdomyolysis, and the amount retrieved from just one milking from one taipan is enough to kill many million mice. Paralysis is difficult to reverse unless treated early. Untreated, a good bite will almost certainly be fatal.

Death Adder

The death adder has strongly neurotoxic venom; coagulation defects are usually minor and rhabdomyolysis is almost never seen. The postsynaptic paralysis is easily reversed by antivenom. It has characteristic appearance and may be striped.

Copperhead

The copperhead is found in Tasmania, Victoria, and the western plains of NSW. It's venom has neurotoxic, coagulopthic and myotoxic actions, however, despite its large venom output, bites are rarely fatal. Use tiger snake antivenom.

Rough Scaled Snake

The rough scaled snake is found mostly in northeastern non-arid areas. It may be striped, and hence confused with the tiger snake. It is extremely ill-tempered, and has venom with neurotoxic, coagulopthic and myotoxic actions.

King Brown or Mulga snake

The king brown (or mulga) snake is found in all arid parts of Australia, and has the greatest venom output, with neurotoxic, coagulopthic and myotoxic actions, but of relatively low toxicity. It has a strongly defined dark crosshatched pattern on its scales, and is more related to the black snakes than the brown. The king brown needs black snake antivenom.

Redbellied Black Snake

The redbellied black snake is found in all eastern non-arid areas. While the venom has neurotoxic, coagulopthic and myotoxic actions, it is not as potent as most, and no deaths after a redbellied black snake have yet been reported. Black or tiger antivenom may be used.

Small Scaled or Fierce Snake

The small scaled snake (sometimes called the inland taipan or fierce snake) has the most potent venom in the world, but is restricted to relatively uninhabited areas of south-western Queensland, so, fortunately, not many people get bitten.