All Types of Taipan Snakes in Australia You Should Avoid

Known globally for its lethal venom, the taipan snake is among the most feared reptiles, carrying a reputation for danger and a highly toxic bite.

Originating in Australia, these venomous snakes are categorized into multiple subspecies. The taipan family includes some of the most perilous snakes scientifically documented, especially the inland taipan, commonly dubbed the "fierce snake" by locals.

Explore the characteristics that position the taipan as one of the planet's most lethal snakes.

Physical Characteristics

Taipans are known for their slender, agile bodies, enabling them to strike with lightning speed when threatened. An adult taipan can grow up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) long, equipped with elongated, razor-sharp fangs that inject venom deeply into their prey or victims, ensuring a swift and effective attack.

The taipan's coloration ranges from light to dark brown, often adapting to its surroundings, with seasonal variations in shade.

For instance, inland taipans can alter their color seasonally, transitioning from light to dark brown to maximize heat absorption during colder months. Their dorsal and lateral scales are smooth and streamlined, enhancing their agility and speed.

3 Taipan Subspecies

Three taipan species are officially recognized: the inland taipan, coastal taipan, and central ranges taipan.

Inland Taipan

The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), often called the fierce snake, possesses the most potent venom of any terrestrial serpent. Referred to as the "small-scaled snake," it boasts some of the most finely textured and uniform scales found in Australian snakes.

Traditionally, the inland taipan has inhabited the Channel Country in southwest Queensland and northeastern South Australia. It was once also found in northwestern Victoria, particularly near the Murray and Darling Rivers, but is now considered extinct in Victoria and its neighboring region, New South Wales.

Due to its elusive behavior and isolated habitat, the inland taipan is seldom seen. However, the venom of this small-scaled snake is extraordinarily powerful, capable of causing severe poisoning with just one bite, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, paralysis, and other adverse effects.

Coastal Taipan

The coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) is typically found near water bodies, including regions of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, with the highest concentration along the Queensland coastline. Some populations are dispersed across New South Wales and South Australia, and sightings have also been reported in southern Papua New Guinea.

Coastal taipans are generally a bit larger than their inland counterparts. While not as venomous as the inland taipan, their bite contains sufficient venom to be fatal to humans within hours if left untreated.

A bite from a coastal taipan can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, collapse, convulsions, paralysis, and other severe effects.

Central Ranges Taipan

The central ranges taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis), also known as the western desert taipan, is the least understood of the three taipan species, largely because it was only discovered in 2006.

The central ranges taipan thrives in the remote, sandy areas of the Australian outback, making it one of the planet's most elusive serpents. Due to its secretive nature, there is scarce information available about its venom and behavioral patterns.

Effects of Taipan Venom

Taipans are highly advanced venomous snakes, featuring slender bodies, flexible jaws, and elongated fangs that inject venom deeply into their prey. Their venom, among the most potent of all land snakes, enables them to quickly immobilize and kill medium-sized mammals.

The venom of a taipan is a powerful combination of neurotoxins, myotoxins, and procoagulants, ranking it as one of the deadliest venoms globally. A single bite from an inland taipan carries enough venom to kill several humans, causing paralysis, internal bleeding, and multi-organ failure within hours.

Timely diagnosis and antivenom treatment are essential for survival, as taipan venom acts rapidly. Effective treatment for envenomation in humans involves administering sufficient doses of taipan antivenom to counteract the venom's effects.

Without prompt medical intervention, the venom can cause respiratory failure, kidney damage, and ultimately death.

Diet

Taipans mainly feed on medium-sized mammals like rats and mice, but they also hunt birds. Their flexible bodies and sharp jaws enable them to capture snakes, lizards, and other small reptiles when prey is scarce.

These snakes rely heavily on their sense of smell to hunt, using their forked tongues to locate prey and striking swiftly when within range.

Especially during periods of rodent population explosions, taipans can consume vast quantities of small mammals. This ability is crucial for survival in the harsh Australian outback, where food can become scarce during droughts or other extreme environmental conditions.

Social Habits

Taipans are typically solitary and diurnal, preferring to avoid conflicts whenever possible. While they are not naturally aggressive, they will fiercely defend themselves if threatened, often striking multiple times in a single encounter.

Taipans are oviparous, with their breeding season usually taking place in cooler months. Females deposit their eggs in protected locations, such as abandoned burrows or under thick vegetation. Newly hatched taipans are self-sufficient from birth and can hunt prey almost immediately.