Inland Taipan


Inland Taipan  

The inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), also commonly known as the western taipan, small-scaled snake, or fierce snake,is a species of extremely venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to semiarid regions of central east Australia.Aboriginal Australians living in those regions named the snake dandarabilla.It was formally described by Frederick McCoy in 1879 and then by William John Macleay in 1882, but for the next 90 years, it was a mystery to the scientific community; no further specimens were found, and virtually nothing was added to the knowledge of this species until its rediscovery in 1972.The inland taipan is dark tan, ranging from a rich, dark hue to a brownish light green, depending on season. Its back, sides, and tail may be different shades of brown and grey, with many scales having a wide, blackish edge.The inland taipan averages about 1.8 m (5.9 ft) in total length, although larger specimens can reach total lengths of 2.5 m (8.2 ft).Its fangs are between 3.5 and 6.2 mm long (shorter than those of the coastal taipan).Inland taipans adapt to their environments by changing the colour of their skin during seasonal changes. They tend to become lighter during summer and darker during the winter. This seasonal colour change facilitates thermoregulation, allowing the snake to absorb more radiant heat in the colder months.Inland taipans produce clutches of one to two dozen eggs.Captive snakes generally live for 10 to 15 years. An inland taipan at the Australia Zoo lived to be over 20 years old.the inland taipan consumes only mammals,mostly rodents, Unlike other venomous snakes that strike with a single, accurate bite then retreat while waiting for the prey to die, the fierce snake subdues the prey with a series of rapid, accurate strikes. It is known to deliver up to eight venomous bites in a single attack,often snapping its jaws fiercely several times to inflict multiple puncturesin the same attack.Its more risky attack strategy entails holding its prey with its body and biting it repeatedly. This injects the extremely toxic venom deep into the prey. The venom acts so rapidly that its prey does not have time to fight.Inland taipans are rarely encountered in the wild by the average person because of their remoteness and brief above-ground appearance during the day. So long as a person is not creating much vibration and noise, the inland taipan may not feel alarmed or bothered by a human presence.However, caution should be exercised and a safe distance maintained as it can inflict a potentially fatal bite.The average quantity of venom delivered by this species is 44 mg, and the maximum dose recorded is 110 mg, One bite's worth of venom is enough to kill 100 fully grown men.

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