Despite its other common name (Fierce Snake), the Inland Taipan are not known to be particularly aggressive, but docile. Inland Taipan are known to live in holes, and feed on small rodents such as mice and rats. The Inland Taipan can also be found north of Lake Eyre and to the west of the split of the Murray River, Darling River and Murrumbidgee River. The Inland Taipan is native to the arid regions of central Australia, extending from the southeast part of the Northern Territory, and into west Queensland. This seasonal colour change serves in thermoregulation, allowing the snake to absorb more light (thence converted to heat) in the colder months. Inland Taipan tend to be lighter in summer and darker in winter.
#Inland taipan bite mark skin#
Inland Taipan adapt to their environment by changing the colour of the skin during seasonal changes. The Inland Taipan averages approximately two metres (about 6.6 feet) in length, although larger specimens have been found. It has twenty-three rows of mid-body scales, between fifty-five and seventy divided subcaudal scales, and one anal scale.
The eye is of average size with a blackish brown iris and without a noticeable coloured rim around the pupil. The round-snouted head and neck are usually noticeably darker than the body (glossy black in winter, dark brown in summer), the darker colour allowing the snake to heat itself while only exposing a smaller portion of the body at the burrow entrance. The dorsal scales are smooth and without keels. The lowermost lateral scales often have an anterior yellow edge. These dark-marked scales occur in diagonal rows so that the marks align to form broken chevrons of variable length that are inclined backward and downward. Its back, sides and tail may be different shades of brown and grey, with many individual scales having a wide blackish edge. The Inland Taipan is dark tan in color, ranging from a rich, dark hue to a brownish olive-green (depending on season). All known bites have been treated using antivenom. Although known as the most venomous land snake in the world, there have been no documented human fatalities. Even so, if it is suspected that a bite from this snake has occurred, medical attention should be sought immediately. Although highly venomous it is a relatively timid snake provided that it is left alone. The Inland Taipan has an extremely neurotoxic venom which can cause death to a adult human in as little as 45 minutes. Its venom is 50 times more toxic than that of the Indian Cobra and 650 - 850 times more toxic than that of a Western- or Eastern Diamondback. The average venom yield of this snake is 44 mg, with a 110-mg being the largest recorded yield. A single bite from the Inland Taipan contains enough venom to kill as many as 100 human adults, or 250,000 mice.
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