LD₅₀ Toxicity Chart – Venomous Snakes of India (Most to Least Toxic)

Rank*	Snake Species	Scientific Name	Major Venom Effects	Reported LD₅₀ (mg/kg)	Notes
1	Sindh Krait	Bungarus sindanus	Predominantly neurotoxic	IV: ~0.018–0.04 SC: ~0.15	Exceptionally potent experimental venom; major presynaptic neurotoxicity.
2	Common Krait	Bungarus caeruleus	Predominantly neurotoxic	IV: ~0.10–0.17 SC: ~0.50	Big Four species; severe neuroparalysis can develop after nocturnal bites.
3	Russell's Viper	Daboia russelii	Coagulopathic, haemorrhagic, nephrotoxic and other systemic effects	Indian average: ~0.20 Reported populations: ~0.14–0.34	Big Four species; high venom yield and potentially severe systemic envenoming.
4	Indian Spectacled Cobra	Naja naja	Predominantly neurotoxic; local tissue effects may occur	Indian average: ~0.42 Reported populations: ~0.22–0.73	Big Four species; venom potency varies geographically.
5	Monocled Cobra	Naja kaouthia	Neurotoxic with possible cytotoxic/local effects	Study-dependent ~0.28–0.34 reported in some datasets	Important venomous cobra of northeastern India and surrounding South/Southeast Asian regions.
6	Banded Krait	Bungarus fasciatus	Predominantly neurotoxic	IV: ~0.45 SC: ~1.20	Generally shy and less frequently involved in human envenoming than some other kraits.
7	Saw-scaled Viper	Echis carinatus	Coagulopathic, haemorrhagic and local tissue effects	Indian average: ~0.64	Big Four species; important cause of severe haemotoxic envenoming.
8	Central Asian Cobra	Naja oxiana	Predominantly neurotoxic	Highly study-dependent; published values vary substantially	Occurs near India's far northwestern region; reliable comparable Indian LD₅₀ data are limited.
9	Sochurek's Saw-scaled Viper	Echis carinatus sochureki	Coagulopathic, haemorrhagic and systemic effects	Indian comparison: ~1.76 Other studies: values differ	Venom potency varies between populations; not appropriate to combine unrelated routes and studies into one range.
10	Hump-nosed Pit Viper	Hypnale hypnale	Coagulopathic, local tissue and renal effects	IP: ~1.6 Western Ghats study: ~1.32	Medically significant; can cause local envenoming, coagulopathy and acute kidney injury.
11	King Cobra	Ophiophagus hannah	Predominantly neurotoxic; multiple venom components	Study-dependent ~0.50–1.10 reported in different populations/routes	Largest venomous snake; lower experimental potency than several kraits does not mean low clinical danger because venom yield can be very large.
12	Bamboo Pit Viper	Trimeresurus gramineus	Haemotoxic, coagulopathic and local tissue effects	Range-finding: ~4–6	Western Ghats pit viper; local swelling and tissue effects may occur.
13	Malabar Pit Viper	Trimeresurus malabaricus	Haemotoxic, local tissue and possible renal effects	Range-finding: >6	Western Ghats species; documented bites can produce significant local reaction and haematological abnormalities.
14	Himalayan Pit Viper	Gloydius himalayanus	Predominantly haemotoxic/local effects	Comparable LD₅₀ data insufficient	High-altitude species; a reliable species-wide LD₅₀ ranking should not be inferred without appropriate primary data.
15	Andaman Krait	Bungarus andamanensis	Expected predominantly neurotoxic	Data limited	Rare and endemic to the Andaman Islands; published comparative venom-toxicity data remain limited.
16	McClelland's Coral Snake	Sinomicrurus macclellandi	Neurotoxic with multiple venom components	Comparable LD₅₀ data insufficient	Rarely encountered in India; venom composition and toxicity vary among Asian coral snakes.

📊 How to Read This Ranking

*Important: The order above is a practical comparison of reported experimental venom potency among the selected species. It is not a definitive ranking of danger to humans.

LD₅₀ values are obtained under controlled laboratory conditions and may differ according to snake population, geographic origin, venom sample, laboratory animal, experimental protocol and route of administration.

A lower LD₅₀ indicates greater experimental venom potency. It does not necessarily mean that the snake causes more human deaths or more severe bites.

LD₅₀ values from different routes should not be directly compared as though they were identical measurements.

💡 Interpretation

• Lower LD₅₀ = Greater Experimental Venom Potency
  A lower numerical LD₅₀ means that a smaller experimental dose produced lethality in 50% of the specified laboratory test population.
• LD₅₀ Administration Routes:
  SC (Subcutaneous): Venom is administered beneath the skin.
  IV (Intravenous): Venom is administered directly into a vein.
  IP (Intraperitoneal): Venom is administered into the peritoneal cavity and is commonly used in laboratory animal experiments.
• Major Venom Effects:
  • Neurotoxic → Neuromuscular paralysis and potentially respiratory failure.
  • Haemotoxic / Coagulopathic → Abnormal clotting, bleeding and vascular damage.
  • Local tissue effects → Pain, swelling, blistering and tissue injury.
  • Nephrotoxic → Kidney injury or acute kidney failure in severe envenoming.

⚠️ Important Scientific Notes

• LD₅₀ is an experimental measurement, not a human danger score.
• A value such as 0.1 mg/kg represents greater experimental venom potency than 1.0 mg/kg, provided the measurements are directly comparable.
• LD₅₀ values may vary because of:
  • Geographic venom variation
  • Snake population and age
  • Venom collection and preparation
  • Laboratory animal model
  • Experimental protocol
  • Route of administration
• Real-world snakebite severity also depends on:
  • Amount of venom actually injected
  • Venom yield and bite circumstances
  • Location of the bite
  • Time before medical treatment
  • Availability and appropriateness of antivenom
  • Individual patient factors
• Kraits can cause severe neuroparalytic envenoming and their nocturnal behaviour can contribute to delayed recognition of bites.
• Vipers and pit vipers can cause coagulopathy, bleeding, local tissue injury and, in some species, kidney injury. Their effects should not be reduced to the single word "haemotoxic."
• Species for which reliable comparable LD₅₀ data are unavailable are deliberately marked "Data limited" rather than assigning an unsupported numerical value.

Scientific disclaimer: The LD₅₀ values presented here are reported experimental values from laboratory studies and should be interpreted within the context of their original experimental conditions. Values from different studies, populations or administration routes are not necessarily directly comparable. This chart is intended for educational and scientific awareness purposes and should not be used to determine the severity of an individual snakebite or to replace professional medical assessment.