What is the deadliest snake in southern Africa?

Outpost31Survivor

Outpost31Survivor

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Excellent relevant article!

What is the deadliest snake in Southern Africa?

A popular question with no easy answer. We do not have a way to test snake venoms on humans, and in the past, tests were done on laboratory mice and referred to as a LD50 test. It boils down to the amount of venom, measured in milligrams, that is required to kill fifty out of one hundred laboratory mice within 24 hours.

There are several problems with LD50 tests – firstly it is done on laboratory mice and the same test on wild rodents or birds would probably produce very different results. This is partially because many snakes have prey-specific venom and while the effect of Black-headed Centipede-eater (Aparallactus capensis) venom on mice might be negligible, it is highly effective on centipedes. The same when it comes to humans – some venoms may appear to be highly effective at killing mice but may not have much effect on humans. Another problem with the LD50 tests is the large margin of error. Get three different facilities to do the same tests and the results may differ substantially.

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www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com

What is the deadliest snake in Southern Africa?

What is the deadliest snake in Southern Africa? A popular question with no easy answer. We do not have a way to test snake venoms on humans, and in the past, tests were done on laboratory mice and referred to as a LD50 test.
www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com
 
The Snark

The Snark

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What is the deadliest ________ in _________? The one with the means, motive, method and opportunity. No single factor applies without the other factors taken into account.
 
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