Oxyuranus microlepidotus

Danger: Dangerously venomous

Other Names: Western Taipan, Small-scaled Snake, Fierce Snake

Size: Typically 2 metres

Family: Elapidae (Elapid snakes, about 60 species in Australia, about 300 species in the world)

Distribution: Presumed extinct in NSW, regionally extinct in VIC. Small areas of extreme Southwest QLD and Northeast SA.

Status: Not many of them left.

Habitat: Bleak, sparsely vegetated, cracking plains, also Cooper Creek drainage systems in arid Southwest QLD and Northeast SA.

References: Wilson and Swan.

About the Inland Taipan

The venom of the inland taipan is the most toxic known for any terrestrial snake (non-sea-snake). Their head and neck colour changes from very dark to black in winter, and fading to a lighter yellowish colour in summer. Underneath they are cream to yellow with orange blotches.

Habits: Shy and rarely attempts to bite, even when provoked.

Diet: Feeds almost exclusively on rats.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 1984 x 1599.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 2679 x 1674.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 1819 x 1327.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 2882 x 1921.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 4256 x 2832.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 2784 x 1848.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 2478 x 1652.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 2784 x 1848.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 2784 x 1848.

Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. Higher Resolution 2784 x 1848.

Traditional distribution of the Inland Taipan. Current distribution is smaller than this. Image by taipan198 at Wikipedia.

Photo taken at Wild Life Sydney Zoo, NSW.

Photo taken at Wild Life Sydney Zoo, NSW.

Photo taken at Wild Life Sydney Zoo, NSW.

See Also

Australian Mammals
Australian Birds
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Spiders and Their Faces
Australian Wild Plant Foods

Return to Australian Reptiles