The Coastal Taipan
Oxyuranus scutellatus
(skue'-tel-ah'-tus: "small-shielded sharp tail")

I have long regarded the Coastal Taipan  as  the world's most dangerous snake, a claim that will surely be questioned by those who have a close affinity with Mamba's and Cobra's. A combination of a very effective venom apparatus (the longest fangs of any Australian Snake), venom toxicity, venom yield, strength and agility, aggression when provoked and the tendency for inflicting multiple bites are factors which support my claim.

The following information is an extract from "Australian Reptiles", written by Harald Ehmann and produced with the assistance of the Australian Museum.

"Rarely seen in the wild, the Taipan is nevertheless the largest Australasian elapid snake. The common name is that given to the species by Aboriginal people of Cape York Peninsula.

The back, upper sides and tail may be yellowish, reddish brown, dark brown or blackish brown, which colour merges gradually into the noticeably paler lower sides. Juveniles and some adults have indistinctly dark-blotched scales, especially on the sides. The dorsal scales are slightly keeled, at least on the neck. The large, long head is quite distinct from the slender neck and forebody and is noticeably paler than the body (especially in juveniles, and on the snout of the adults). The eye is relatively large with a blackish brown iris and a wide brownish orange rim around the pupil in pale and younger individuals  (usually darker and narrower in darker and older snakes).

The Taipan shelters in abandoned animal burrows, especially burrow systems under roots and fallen timber; in hollow logs and rotted out fallen trunks' and in deep leaf litter (especially piles at the base of large trees). Its preference for rodent prey attracts individuals or groups to poorly maintained rubbish dumps, discarded building materials on the scrubby fringes of settlements, and windrows of sugarcane (a).

The Taipan is a stealthy hunter of small to medium-sized rodents (mice and rats) and bandicoots; it also takes birds. Its bite is extraordinarily fast and accurate. Adults killing large prey do not even need to complete a bite in order to inject venom, this being injected by momentary muscular pressure on the venom gland as the fangs penetrate in an open-mouthed "jab-bite". The ungripped prey is allowed to pull away and to attempt an escape, but after a short delay, the Taipan follows the scent of the prey towards its cover or retreat, which it rarely reaches before succumbing to the venom. Juveniles killing small mammals usually bite and maintain their jaw grip until the prey can be ingested. The Taipan usually restricts its activity on the surface to the mid-morning. It may extend or change this to include late afternoon in cooler weather, in hot weather it is nocturnal.

Its rarity in the Northern Territory and Western Australia may be partly due to a semi nomadic, largely solitary existence, where seasonal fluctuations and limited resources prevent the buildup of a substantial and detectable population (a). Male Taipans can grow significantly larger than females and ritual male combat occurs in spring. Mating in captivity has been recorded from March to December with a peak from July to October. Between 52 and 85 days after mating, the female lays three to 22 (average 14) adherent, soft-shelled eggs. The female can retain her eggs long enough for the embryos to develop to an advanced stage before she lays. The initial clutch is often followed (37 to 69 days later) by a second clutch. Eggs incubated artificially at about 30 degrees C hatch in 61 to 84 days and the young leave their egg cases about one or two days after the first hatching slits are made. Males become mature at as little as 16 months of age, females at 28 months.

The Taipan usually takes shelter quietly to avoid confrontation with larger predators or disturbers (including humans). When cornered and aroused, it holds the body coils in loose, open loops, with the neck and forebody raised slightly and ready to deliver one or more fast 'jab bites' as soon as the offender is within range (a). Its reputation for accuracy, speed and effectiveness is well deserved. Its bite is potentially fatal."