Every Kind of Taipan Snake to Avoid in Australia

Taipans have sleek and agile snake bodies, allowing them to strike instantly when they feel threatened. A fully grown taipan can reach 6.5 feet (2 meters) in length, and these venomous snakes possess long, sharp fangs that deliver venom deep into the snake bite site, making it difficult for prey or victims to escape a strike.

The color of a taipan varies from light brown to dark brown, often depending on its environment, with seasonal shifts in its hue.

Inland taipans, for example, can change color seasonally, shifting from light brown to dark brown to better absorb heat in cooler weather. Their dorsal scales and lowermost lateral scales provide a smooth, streamlined appearance, making them highly agile snakes.

There are three recognized taipan species: the inland taipan, coastal taipan and central ranges taipan.

Inland Taipan

The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), or fierce snake, has the most toxic venom of any land snake. Also known as the "small-scaled snake," the inland taipan has some of the finest, most uniform scales among Australian snakes.

Historically, its habitat has been in the Channel Country of southwest Queensland and northeastern South Australia. The inland taipan was once also active in northwestern Victoria, primarily around the Murray and Darling Rivers. However, it is now presumed extinct in both Victoria and its neighbor to the north, New South Wales.

The inland taipan is rarely encountered, due to its reclusive nature and remote habitat, but the extremely potent venom of this small-scaled snake is capable of causing severe envenomation with a single bite, resulting in vomiting, abdominal pain, paralysis and other negative effects.

Coastal Taipan

The coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) commonly lives along the water, including in parts of Western Australian and the Northern Territory, with distribution being the heaviest along the Queensland coast. A handful of populations are scattered across New South Wales and South Australia, and people have also spotted specimens in southern Papua New Guinea.

Coastal taipans tend to be slightly larger than their inland relatives. Though not as venomous as the inland taipan, coastal taipans still possess enough venom in a single bite to kill a human within hours if a bite goes untreated.

Symptoms of a coastal taipan bite include vomiting, collapse, convulsions, paralysis and other unpleasant effects.

Central Ranges Taipan

The central ranges taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis) — also called the western desert taipan — is the least-known of the three taipan species, primarily due to its more recent discovery in 2006.

Thriving in extremely remote and sandy regions of the Australian outback, the central ranges taipan is one of the world's most elusive snakes. As a result, there is limited data on its venom and behavior.

Taipans are highly evolved venomous snakes with slender bodies, flexible jaws and long fangs that deliver venom deep into their prey. This venom — one of the most toxic among land snakes — allows taipans to rapidly paralyze and kill medium-sized mammals.

Taipan venom is an incredibly potent blend of snake venoms including neurotoxins, myotoxins and procoagulants, making it one of the most toxic venoms in the world. A single bite from an inland taipan contains enough venom to kill multiple humans, delivering paralysis, bleeding and multiple organ system poisoning within hours.

Early diagnosis and antivenom therapy are critical for survival, as the taipan's venom acts swiftly. Envenomation in humans requires prompt and adequate dosages of taipan antivenom to neutralize the venom.

Without immediate treatment, the venom can lead to respiratory failure, kidney damage and death.

The taipan's diet primarily consists of medium-sized mammals such as rats and mice, although they will also prey on birds. Their agile snake bodies and sharp jaws allow them to catch snakes, lizards and other small reptiles when food is scarce.

These snakes hunt primarily by scent, using their forked tongues to track prey, and strike instantly when they come within range.

Particularly during plague-proportions of rodent populations, taipans are capable of consuming large numbers of small mammals. This is essential for survival in places like the harsh Australian outback, where food sources can be limited during droughts or other extreme conditions.

Taipans are generally solitary creatures and are most active during the daytime. Unlike some aggressive snake species, taipans will generally avoid confrontation whenever possible. However, if threatened, they will defend themselves fiercely, often delivering multiple bites in the same attack.

Taipans are egg-layers, and their breeding season typically occurs during cooler weather. Females lay their eggs in sheltered areas, such as abandoned burrows or beneath dense vegetation. Hatchlings are fully independent upon birth and are capable of catching prey almost immediately.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was edited and fact-checked by a HowStuffWorks editor.