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Inland taipan Facts

Inland taipan Facts
Inland taipan is venomous snake that belongs to the group of elapid snakes. It can be found in semi-arid areas of Central and East Australia. Inland taipan was discovered at the end of the 19th century, but scientists couldn't describe and examine this species until the appearance of the next specimen 90 years later. Inland taipan is endemic for Australia (it can be found only there and nowhere else). According to the Australian official sources, inland taipans are rare in the Queensland and numerous in the South Australia.
Interesting Inland taipan Facts:
Inland taipan can reach 6 to 8 feet in length.
Inland taipan has light brown or brownish to light green back. Scales on dorsal and lateral sides of the body have black edges which create V-shaped markings along the body. Belly is creamy or light yellow. Rounded snout, head and neck are darker than the rest of the body.
Color of the body depends on the season. Light-colored body prevents overheating of inland taipan during the summer, while dark-colored skin ensures accumulation of the heat during the winter.
Inland taipan is usually active early in the morning (diurnal). It becomes active during the night (nocturnal) during extremely hot periods of the year.
Inland taipan is terrestrial animal (adapted to the life on the ground).
Inland taipan has excellent eyesight and sense of smell which are used for detection of the prey. Its diet consists of rodents, small mammals and birds.
Inland taipan is an agile snake that is able to bite 8 times in a single attack. It retreats and waits inside the crack in the soil until victim dies before it returns to swallow it.
Number of inland taipans in the wild depends on the number of rodents. Abundance of food (rodents) facilitates reproduction and leads to rapid increase in the number of inland taipans.
Inland taipan is classified as the most venomous snake on the planet. Each bite delivers amount of venom that can kill 100 adult men or 250.000 mice.
Inland taipan is also known as "fierce snake" because of its potent venom (it is not aggressive by nature).
Humans rarely encounter inland taipans in the wild and bites are extremely rare (inland taipans bite only in self-defense). Humans die 30 to 45 minutes after attack in the case that antivenin is not available.
Natural enemies of inland taipans are king brown snakes and large monitor lizards.
Mating season of inland taipans takes place from July to December. Females produce two broods per year when food is plentiful.
Female lays 12 to 24 egg in the crevices of rocks or inside the abandoned burrows of various animals. Eggs hatch after incubation of 2 months.
Inland taipan can survive over 20 years in the captivity.


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