What Is More Likely To Kill You: A Shark or a Snake?

Sharks and snakes are both deadly animals. Which of the animals kills the most people, sharks or snakes? Should we have a greater fear of sharks or snakes?

Hollywood movies have entertained us with the dreaded possibility of sharks stalking humans in the water. However, most people say they do not fear a shark attack because they might die from the experience. They fear a shark attack because they fear being eaten alive. The idea of being eaten alive and feeling intense pain causes people to think sharks are more dangerous than they are.

Sharks Are Deadly Animals

Bull sharks have the highest levels of testosterone in the animal kingdom. It would be safe to assume that bull sharks would be at the top of the list of animals that kill the most humans. However, the great white shark perpetrates the most common attack in reported shark attacks.

Galeophobia is the fear of sharks. 51% of the population suffers from fear of death by sharks. 38% of Americans admit that their fear of sharks is so great that they avoid being in the water. Is this a rational fear? Although the chances of a shark attack are low, in 1945, in just five days,, 150 people died from shark attacks. News like that makes you wonder if the fear of sharks is founded in reality.

There are 465 species of shark known to man. These creatures are between seven inches and 15 feet in length. They can kill a human, and during the last ten years, there have been a total of 471 shark attacks on humans. However, of those 471 bites, 8 resulted in a fatality, and 463 were non-fatal.

Sea Snakes Are Deadly Animals

When discussing which animal kills the most people, sharks or snakes, you must consider snakes that live in the water with the sharks. There are only 70 species of sea snakes, compared to the 465 species of sharks. On the other hand, not all sharks are dangerous to humans, and most sea snakes are poisonous.

The fear of snakes is ophidiophobia. One out of every ten adults in the US suffers from ophidiophobia. Although sea snake bites are common among fishermen, not all water sports enthusiasts are afraid of them; most people who experience this fear are more afraid of land snakes.

These animals bite between 15,000 and 75,000 fishermen annually. However, sea snakes have shorter fangs than land snakes. Up to 80% of the bites are without a venom injection. Three percent of sea snake bites result in a fatality.

Snakes are less noticeable than sharks, so they are more likely to kill you than sharks. You will not wade into the water and walk into a shark’s mouth. However, you can wade into the ocean, where you risk stepping on a sea snake and getting bitten. You are more likely to be bitten by a sea snake if you are fishing with a net and bring the animal up in your net. Once again, you are not likely to pull a great white shark up in your fishing net and be bitten while releasing the animal.

Conclusion

To answer the question of which animals kill the most people, sharks or snakes, the answer is snakes. The chances of you being bitten by a shark are one in 3.7 million, but your chances of being bitten by a snake, including water and land snakes, are 1 in 40,965.

In other words, if you are careful and take the proper precautions, you will not die from being eaten alive by a shark or a venomous snake bite.

FAQs

Which sea snake is the most poisonous?

The Dubois sea snake is commonly considered the most venomous of all sea snakes. However, the most venomous snake in the world is the western taipan from Australia.

Are there sea snakes in the American oceans?

Yes. The most likely place to encounter a sea snake in American waters is in American Somoa, where two species of sea snake make their homes.

What is the deadliest land snake in the US?

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the most venomous land snake in the United States. Rattlesnake bites have a fatality rate between 10 and 20%, and the eastern diamondback is guilty of causing 95% of the deaths by snakebites in the U.S.