
The Inland species prefers semi-arid habitats with low rainfall. We know very little about the Central Ranges species, but the Coastal and Inland species occupy different types of habitats. These snakes live in a variety of different habitats, depending on the species. An aboriginal community captured the snake in Western Australia. It was another 3 years before researchers found another Central Ranges Taipan.
Central Ranges Taipan – Researchers first described this species in 2007. However, this species is quite shy and does its best to escape a threat rather than fight it. Its venom can kill an adult man in 30 to 45 minutes without treatment. Inland Taipan – The inland species, also known as the “small-scaled” or “fierce snake,” lives in central East Australia. After striking its prey, this snake follows it until the venom incapacitates it. Despite its massive size, this snake lets its venom do all the hard work while hunting. Coastal Taipan – The scientific community widely accepts this species as the largest species of venomous snake in Australia. Learn what makes the different species unique below. long! Interesting Facts About the TaipanĮach species is slightly different from the next. long, but some unconfirmed reports claim they can reach 11 ft. The longest recorded specimen measured 9.5 ft. Finally, the Central Ranges species has light, sandy-brown scales.ĭepending on the species, individuals regularly reach 5 or 6 ft. The Coastal species has a reddish tint to its brown scales. The Inland species has dark brown scales with a black head. ↑ "Rare, and deadly, snake found in WA desert". Comparative Studies of the Venom of a New Taipan Species, Oxyuranus temporalis, with Other Members of Its Genus. Turnbull, Terry Morley, Nathan Dunstan, Luke Allen, Tim Kuchel, Peter Mirtschin and Wayne C. Wolfgang Wüster, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor. ↑ " Oxyuranus temporalis - Central Ranges taipan". New species of taipan found in central WA. "REPTILE experts from the WA Museum have discovered a female taipan new to science living in the remote central ranges of outback WA.". International Institute for Species Exploration. ↑ Top 10 new species of 2008: Oxyuranus temporalis. "A new species of taipan (Elapidae: Oxyuranus) from central Australia". The adult female taipan measuring 1.3 m (4.3 ft) in total length was captured by the Spinifex people from the Tjuntjuntjara Aboriginal community during a biological study at Ilkurlka, 165 km west of the South Australian border, 425 km south of the location of the initial discovery. temporalis was found in the Great Victoria Desert of Western Australia. temporalis, has a -1">50 measured on mice to be 0.075 mg/Kg, making it likely to be extremely dangerous to a human if bitten, albeit less toxic than the inland taipan, which was found by the same study to have a -1">50 of 0.0225 mg/Kg. scutellatus the third-most venomous after Pseudonaja textilis. microlepidotus ranked the most venomous land snake and O. The two other described species of Oxyuranus are among the most venomous land snakes in the world - O. Phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA sequences showed it to be the sister species of the two previously known taipans. microlepidotus in lacking a temporolabial scale and having six rather than seven infralabial scales. temporalis differs from its two congeneric species O. This is the first new taipan species to be discovered in 125 years.
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The holotype, nicknamed "Scully" after the X-Files TV character, is an immature snake about 1 m long, which means that scientists do not know the true adult size of the species, though some taipans can reach a total length of about 3 m (about 10 ft).
At first, it was tentatively identified as a western brown snake because of the similar size and colouring several weeks later, however, Western Australia Museum reptile collection manager Brad Maryan noticed the now-preserved snake had a large, pale head similar to the coastal taipan. Two weeks later, the new species was studied. He bagged the snake and sent it, along with others captured from the trip, to the Western Australian Museum in Perth for closer inspection. The reptile was about 1.0 m (39 inches) in total length (body and tail), but because taipan species are among the most venomous snakes in the world, Hutchinson did not inspect the creature on site. Mark Hutchinson, reptile and amphibian curator at the South Australian Museum, caught the immature female taipan while it was crossing a dirt track on a sunny afternoon.