Coastal taipan

Scientific Name: Oxyuranus scutellatus

Australia’s deadliest snake also has huge fangs, which grow up to 12 millimetres long! It uses these to inject a powerful venom into the body. The coastal taipan is commonly about 1.5-2 metres long, but can grow to 3m. Sporting a slender light to dark brown body, and a cream/yellow belly with pink or orange flecks, the snake’s head is often a lighter brown than its body.

Habitat:

Along the coast from northern NSW, Queensland, Northern Territory through to north-eastern Western Australia. It is found in forests, heaths and grassy beach dunes, and also favours cane fields.

Diet:

Strictly mammals such as small rodents, bandicoots and quolls. Although many human deaths have resulted from taipan bites, it rarely attacks humans except in self defence.

Reproduction:

7-20 large, pill-shaped eggs are laid which take up to 68 days to hatch. The young are around 30 cm long.