The taipan is a poisonous snake from Australia. It can grow up to three metres long, which is huge for a venomous snake. It belongs to the same family as the cobra, and has venom in its front fangs.
Where do Taipans Live?
Two of the three taipan species are endemic to Australia, specifically in northern and eastern coastal and central Australia. The coastal taipan, however, also occurs in southern Papua New Guinea. They primarily live in deserts, floodplains, grasslands, oil palm plantations, cane fields, dry forests, and savanna woodlands.
There are three species of taipans: (1) the inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus); (2) the coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) or Papua New Guinean taipan; and (3) the western desert taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis). Table 1 below shows the general characteristics and behavior of each taipan species.
What do Taipans Eat?
Taipan snakes’ diet is primarily composed of mammals such as mice, rats, and bandicoots, with minor variations between inland and coastal taipans. Their hunting strategy also varies. The western desert taipan, however, is not yet fully understood and experts have limited data on its hunting behavior.
Inland taipans feed exclusively on mammals such as long-haired rats and house mice. Those in captivity have been observed to eat one-day-old chicks. When hunting, inland taipans corner their prey in narrow crevices such as soil cracks, then bite them several times in quick succession. Their venom’s high potency allows them to hold their prey while waiting for it to die. This strategy is challenging for some snakes because the prey may retaliate while the venom takes its effect.
Coastal taipans feed on small mammals such as rodents, bandicoots, and quolls. There are also instances where they take birds as food. They begin their hunt by scanning their surroundings for prey using their well-developed sight. Once they have seen their target, they “freeze” for a while, launch forward, then administer their bites once or several times. After the attack, they release their prey and allow it to move away while the venom takes its effect, avoiding any lethal retaliation. The coastal taipan then tracks its dying prey using its tongue.
How Dangerous are Taipans?
The venom of taipans, specifically that of the inland taipan, is the most potent among the snake venoms based on laboratory studies on mice. The inland taipan can produce enough venom to kill 250,000 mice in one bite. However, there has been no record of human fatality related to inland taipan, which can be attributed to its shy and placid nature. In contrast, the coastal taipan has been associated with fatal bites in Australia and Torres Strait in New Guinea.
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