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''O. temporalis''
''O. temporalis''
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'''Taipans''' are large, fast, highly [[venom (poison)|venomous]] [[Australia]]n [[snake]]s, one of which, the [[Inland Taipan]], has the most toxic venom of any land species worldwide, although it is not the most deadly. The taipan was named by [[Donald Thompson]] after the word used by the [[Wik-Mungkan]] [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] people of central [[Cape York Peninsula]], [[Queensland]], Australia.<ref>Sutton, Peter 1995 Wik Ngathan dictionary</ref>
'''Taipans''' are large, fast, highly [[venom (poison)|venomous]] [[Australia]]n [[snake]]s, one of which, the [[Inland Taipan]], has the most toxic venom of any land species worldwide, although it is not the most deadly. The taipan was named by [[Donald Thomson]] after the word used by the [[Wik-Mungkan]] [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] people of central [[Cape York Peninsula]], [[Queensland]], Australia.<ref>Sutton, Peter 1995 Wik Ngathan dictionary</ref>


There are three known species: the coastal taipan (''Oxyuranus scutellatus''), the less common inland taipan (also known as the ''[[fierce snake]]'' and ''small-scaled snake'') (''Oxyuranus microlepidotus'') and a recently discovered third species, the Central Ranges taipan (''Oxyuranus temporalis'').<ref name = "mapress">[http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01422p058.pdf mapress.com]</ref> The coastal taipan has two subspecies: the coastal taipan (''Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus'') and the Papuan taipan (''Oxyuranus scutellatus canni''), found on southern coast of [[Papua New Guinea]]. Their diet consists primarily of small mammals, especially rats and [[bandicoots]].
There are three known species: the coastal taipan (''Oxyuranus scutellatus''), the less common inland taipan (also known as the ''[[fierce snake]]'' and ''small-scaled snake'') (''Oxyuranus microlepidotus'') and a recently discovered third species, the Central Ranges taipan (''Oxyuranus temporalis'').<ref name = "mapress">[http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01422p058.pdf mapress.com]</ref> The coastal taipan has two subspecies: the coastal taipan (''Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus'') and the Papuan taipan (''Oxyuranus scutellatus canni''), found on southern coast of [[Papua New Guinea]]. Their diet consists primarily of small mammals, especially rats and [[bandicoots]].

Revision as of 23:26, 13 March 2008

This article is about the Australian snake. For Tai-Pan (disambiguation), see Taipan (disambiguation).

Taipans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Reptilia
Order:
Squamata
Suborder:
Serpentes
Family:
Elapidae
Genus:
Oxyuranus
Species

O. scutellatus
O. s. scutellatus (Coastal Taipan)
O. s. canni (Papuan Taipan)
O. s. barringeri (North-west Taipan)
O. microlepidotus (Inland Taipan)
O. temporalis

Taipans are large, fast, highly venomous Australian snakes, one of which, the Inland Taipan, has the most toxic venom of any land species worldwide, although it is not the most deadly. The taipan was named by Donald Thomson after the word used by the Wik-Mungkan Aboriginal people of central Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia.[1]

There are three known species: the coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus), the less common inland taipan (also known as the fierce snake and small-scaled snake) (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) and a recently discovered third species, the Central Ranges taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis).[2] The coastal taipan has two subspecies: the coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus) and the Papuan taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus canni), found on southern coast of Papua New Guinea. Their diet consists primarily of small mammals, especially rats and bandicoots.

Description

Taipans can grow 6.5 to 12 feet long (2 to 3.6 meters).[3] The coastal taipan is usually pale to dark brown in colour, fading to a lateral cream, although juveniles are lighter in colour. The Papuan taipan is black or purplish-gray, with a copper-coloured stripe on its back. They are often found in sugar fields due to an abundance of rats - their main food source.

Venom and toxicity

The inland taipan is considered to be the most venomous land snake, based on the LD50 scale of toxicity[4]. With an LD50 of 0.025 mg/kg, it is 20 times as venomous as a common cobra. The venom from a single bite may be enough to kill about 250,000 mice (the mass-equivalent of 100 men). The LD50 figures cannot be directly compared with toxicity in humans, however, as there is considerable variation in results from species to species and a host of environmental variables can further impact the results[5]. Lethal dose calculations are made on mice, so they may have a murine bias. The bias may be emphasised in the inland taipan, as they are specialised to feed on rodents[6]. Calculated LD50 values might not be applicable to non-mammalian species, and may even be inaccurate for mammals other than mice and other rodents. There is evidence of taxa-specific venom toxicity in at least one species of snake[7].

This species lives in remote and sparsely inhabited areas. Like most snakes, inland taipans are generally shy and will usually not bite unless they feel threatened. No fatalities have been attributed to this species, and all known bites have been to people who keep them in captivity or actively seek them out in the wild.

The common taipan is the third-most venomous snake on Earth and arguably the largest venomous snake in Australia. Its venom contains Taicatoxin, a highly potent neurotoxin. The danger posed by the coastal taipan was brought to Australian public awareness in 1950, when young herpetologist Kevin Budden was fatally bitten in capturing the first specimen available for antivenom research. The common taipan is often considered to be one of the deadliest species in the world. Mortality rate without treatment is second only to the black mamba, nearing 100%.[8] However, antivenom treatment is highly effective. In several aspects of morphology, ecology and behaviour, the common taipan is strongly convergent with an African elapid, Dendroaspis polylepis (the black mamba).[9]

Notes

  1. ^ Sutton, Peter 1995 Wik Ngathan dictionary
  2. ^ mapress.com
  3. ^ Kindersley, Dorling (2001,2005). Animal. New York City: DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7894-7764-5. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  4. ^ Most Venomous Snakes
  5. ^ The LD50 Test and Alternatives
  6. ^ Wilson, Steve (2005). A Field Guide to Reptiles of Queensland. Reed New Holland. p225
  7. ^ Mackessy, Stephen P., Sixberry, Nicole, M., Heyborne, William H., and Fritts, Thomas (2006) Venom of the Brown Treesnake, Boiga irregularis: Ontogenetic shifts and taxa-specific toxicity. Toxicon, 47:537-548.
  8. ^ Dangerous Critters
  9. ^ http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-1511(198303)17:1%3C60:EOHVST%3E2.0.CO;2-A
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