Coastal Taipan
Encyclopedia
The Coastal Taipan or common taipan, is a large, highly venomous snake
of the family Elapidae
. It is native to the coastal regions of northern and eastern Australia
and the island of New Guinea
. According to most studies, this species is the third most venomous land snake in the world.
Coastal taipans are large snakes. It is the largest venomous snake in Australia. Adult specimens of this species typically grow to lengths of 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) on average and slightly larger specimens are relatively common. Although rare, a maximum length of 3.3 metres (10.8 ft) is attainable by this species. According to the Queensland Museum
, the longest recorded length for the coastal taipan as recorded in Australian museum collections is 2.9 metres (9.5 ft) and weighed 6.5 kilograms (14.3 lb). The head of this species is long, narrow and big like that of the African Black mamba
. In fact, in several aspects of morphology, ecology and behavior, the Coastal taipan is strongly convergent with the black mamba
(Dendroaspis polylepis). It has an angular brow and is lighter coloured on the face. The body is slender, yet strong and sturdy and colouration can vary. They are often uniformly light olive or reddish-brown in colour, but some specimens may be dark gray to black. Their colouration gets lighter on the side of their bodies and their ventral side (the belly) is usually a creamy-white to a pale light yellow in colour and is often marked with orange or pink flecks. The eyes are round, big and are light brown or even hazel in colour with big pupils.
and the island of New Guinea
, which comprises of two Indonesian
provinces on the west side of the island and the nation of Papua New Guinea
is on the east side of the island. The Australian subspecies (Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus) is found in the coastal regions of Queensland
and in the northern parts of the Northern Territory
and the northeastern parts of Western Australia
. The southern most part of this subspecies' range is the most northern tip of New South Wales
bordering Queensland. Coastal taipans do not live anywhere where the maximum winter temperature is only 20 °C (68 °F). The second subspecies (Oxyuranus scutellatus canni) is found throughout the island of New Guinea
, with higher concentrations of the snake being found in the nation of Papua New Guinea
.
, and in natural and artificial grassy areas including grazing paddocks, and disused rubbish tips. In Queensland, they have adapted well to sugarcane fields where they thrive on the rodent population in the fields. In Far North Queensland
in the Cape York Peninsula
, they are usually found in open woodland areas. Thickets of introduced lantana are also favoured habitat. The Coastal taipan shelters in abandoned animal burrows, hollow logs and in piles of vegetation and litter.
s and bird
s. Rats, mice, bandicoots, and various species of birds make up their entire diet.
. The SC
of this species is 0.106 mg/kg and the average venom yield per bite is 120 mg, with a maximum yield of 400 mg. When the Coastal taipan strikes it injects a large amount of highly toxic venom deep into the flesh, and similar to the Black mamba
, studies have shown they are capable of injecting the same amount of venom in a second or third bite. Its venom contains primarily taicatoxin
, a highly potent neurotoxin
and are known to cause hemolytic and coagulopathic reactions. Death can occur as early as 30 minutes after being bitten, but average death time after a bite is around 90 minutes and it may even take up to 6-8 hours depending on the nature of the bite. Untreated bites have a mortality rate that is close to 100%, second only to the Black mamba.
Venomous snake
"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...
of the family Elapidae
Elapidae
Elapidae is a family of venomous snakes found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, terrestrially in Asia, Australia, Africa, North America and South America and aquatically in the Pacific and Indian Oceans...
. It is native to the coastal regions of northern and eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. According to most studies, this species is the third most venomous land snake in the world.
Physical description
Queensland Museum
The Queensland Museum is the state museum of Queensland. The museum currently operates four separate campuses; at South Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba and Townsville.The museum is funded by the State Government of Queensland.-History:...
, the longest recorded length for the coastal taipan as recorded in Australian museum collections is 2.9 metres (9.5 ft) and weighed 6.5 kilograms (14.3 lb). The head of this species is long, narrow and big like that of the African Black mamba
Black mamba
The black mamba , also called the common black mamba or black-mouthed mamba, is the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around in length, and sometimes growing to lengths of...
. In fact, in several aspects of morphology, ecology and behavior, the Coastal taipan is strongly convergent with the black mamba
Black mamba
The black mamba , also called the common black mamba or black-mouthed mamba, is the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around in length, and sometimes growing to lengths of...
(Dendroaspis polylepis). It has an angular brow and is lighter coloured on the face. The body is slender, yet strong and sturdy and colouration can vary. They are often uniformly light olive or reddish-brown in colour, but some specimens may be dark gray to black. Their colouration gets lighter on the side of their bodies and their ventral side (the belly) is usually a creamy-white to a pale light yellow in colour and is often marked with orange or pink flecks. The eyes are round, big and are light brown or even hazel in colour with big pupils.
Scalation
Dorsal scales at mid-body 21-23, ventrals 220-250, subcaudals 45-80, subcaudals are divided, anal plate is single, temporales 2+3 (3+4).Geographical range and habitat
Coastal taipans occur only in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, which comprises of two Indonesian
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
provinces on the west side of the island and the nation of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
is on the east side of the island. The Australian subspecies (Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus) is found in the coastal regions of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and in the northern parts of the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and the northeastern parts of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The southern most part of this subspecies' range is the most northern tip of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
bordering Queensland. Coastal taipans do not live anywhere where the maximum winter temperature is only 20 °C (68 °F). The second subspecies (Oxyuranus scutellatus canni) is found throughout the island of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, with higher concentrations of the snake being found in the nation of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
Habitat
Coastal taipans can be found in a variety of different habitats. They can be found in warm wetter temperate to tropical coastal regions, in monsoon forest, wet and dry sclerophyll forest and woodlandWoodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, and in natural and artificial grassy areas including grazing paddocks, and disused rubbish tips. In Queensland, they have adapted well to sugarcane fields where they thrive on the rodent population in the fields. In Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
in the Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
, they are usually found in open woodland areas. Thickets of introduced lantana are also favoured habitat. The Coastal taipan shelters in abandoned animal burrows, hollow logs and in piles of vegetation and litter.
Behavior and diet
The Coastal taipan is primarily diurnal, being mostly active in the early to mid-morning period, although they may become nocturnal in hot weather conditions. When hunting, it appears to actively scan for prey using its well-developed eyesight, and is often seen travelling with its head raised slightly above ground level. Once prey is detected the snake ‘freezes’ before hurling itself forward and issuing several quick bites. The prey is released and allowed to stagger away - this strategy minimizes the snake’s chance of being harmed in retaliation, particularly by rats which can inflict lethal damage with their long incisors and claws. It is not a confrontational snake and will seek to escape any threat. However, when cornered it can become very aggressive and may strike repeatedly.Diet
These snakes feed solely on warm-blooded animals such as mammalMammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s and bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. Rats, mice, bandicoots, and various species of birds make up their entire diet.
Venom
This snake is the world's third most venomous snakeVenomous snake
"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...
. The SC
Subcutaneous injection
A subcutaneous injection is administered as a bolus into the subcutis, the layer of skin directly below the dermis and epidermis, collectively referred to as the...
of this species is 0.106 mg/kg and the average venom yield per bite is 120 mg, with a maximum yield of 400 mg. When the Coastal taipan strikes it injects a large amount of highly toxic venom deep into the flesh, and similar to the Black mamba
Black mamba
The black mamba , also called the common black mamba or black-mouthed mamba, is the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around in length, and sometimes growing to lengths of...
, studies have shown they are capable of injecting the same amount of venom in a second or third bite. Its venom contains primarily taicatoxin
Taicatoxin
Taicatoxin is a snake toxin that blocks voltage-dependent L-type calcium channels and small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels. The name taicatoxin is derived from its natural source, the taipan snake, the site of its action, calcium channels, and from its function as a toxin...
, a highly potent neurotoxin
Neurotoxin
A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
and are known to cause hemolytic and coagulopathic reactions. Death can occur as early as 30 minutes after being bitten, but average death time after a bite is around 90 minutes and it may even take up to 6-8 hours depending on the nature of the bite. Untreated bites have a mortality rate that is close to 100%, second only to the Black mamba.
Subspecies
| Subspecies | Taxon author | Common name | Geographic range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxyuranus scutellatus canni | (Slater, 1956) | Papuan Taipan | Throughout the island of New Guinea New Guinea New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago... |
| Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus | (Peters Wilhelm Peters Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens... , 1867) |
Coastal Taipan | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... : coastal Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... , northern parts of Northern Territory Northern Territory The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions... and the northeastern parts of Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
External links
- Barnett, Brian. "Keeping and Breeding the Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus)." Journal of the Victorian Herpetological Society, 10 (2/3), 1999 (pages 38–45).
- Williams, David. "The Death of Kevin Budden." David Williams' Australian Herpetology Online, January 2004.