{"id":42004,"date":"2024-09-16T12:09:08","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T10:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/11fc7598-d389-46bd-8ba5-e29ba1e98a83"},"modified":"2024-09-16T12:27:33","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T10:27:33","slug":"meet-the-shy-but-deadly-inland-taipan-snake-who-has-enough-venom-in-one-bite-to-kill-100-adults","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/meet-the-shy-but-deadly-inland-taipan-snake-who-has-enough-venom-in-one-bite-to-kill-100-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the shy, but deadly, inland taipan snake who has\u00a0enough venom in one bite to kill 100 adults"},"content":{"rendered":"

All you ever wanted to know about the venomous inland taipan, from diet and size to where they live and how they hunt <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Monday, 16 September 2024 at 10:09 AM<\/p>

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Endemic to semi-arid\u00a0and arid\u00a0areas of Australia, the inland taipan\u00a0is a mammal hunting specialist and\u00a0extremely venomous.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>

This species has\u00a0enough venom in one bite to kill approximately 100 adult humans. It\u00a0is the most venomous snake\u00a0on Earth\u00a0and one of the\u00a0most venomous animals in the world<\/a>. However,\u00a0it is not considered to be the\u00a0deadliest snake in the world<\/a>\u00a0because\u00a0it lives in remote places and rarely encounters people. <\/p>

Are inland taipans aggressive?<\/strong><\/h2>

The inland taipan is a shy and reclusive snake that will only attack if provoked.<\/p>

What do inland taipans look like?<\/strong><\/h2>

Yellowish to brown in colour inland taipans<\/strong> have a streamlined, slender body and their dorsal scales create a\u00a0broken herringbone pattern. They have a rectangular-shaped head, a blunt snout, short fangs and large eyes with round pupils.<\/p>

Why do they change colour?<\/strong><\/h2>

Inland taipans change colour with the seasons. The species becomes darker in winter to absorb heat and lighter in summer\u00a0to\u00a0stay cool.<\/p>

How big are inland taipans?<\/strong><\/h2>

Inland tapians are usually between 2 -2.7m and weigh 1-2kg<\/p>

Where do inland taipans live?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>
Getty video<\/figcaption><\/figure>

According to the\u00a0Australian Museum<\/a>,\u00a0the inland taipan lives\u00a0in the Channel country (bioregion) of south-western Queensland and north-eastern South Australia. The species inhabits floodplains,\u00a0gibber plains,\u00a0and dunes and rocky outcrops where cover is available. It shelters in soil cracks,\u00a0crevices, holes and mammal burrows to escape the intense heat.<\/p>

What do inland taipan<\/strong>s<\/strong>\u00a0eat?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>

Rodents are the primary source of food for inland taipans,\u00a0particularly\u00a0the long-haired rat and brown plains rat\u00a0but the snakes\u00a0also eat\u00a0dasyurids\u00a0(small marsupials<\/a>).\u00a0The long-haired rat population experiences seasonal fluctuations: after rains,\u00a0numbers boom\u00a0and there is a feast for the\u00a0snakes but during periods of prolonged\u00a0drought,\u00a0the populations of\u00a0both species can decline.<\/p>