Reptiles · Squamata · Elapidae

Fierce Snake

Oxyuranus microlepidotus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The inland taipan, small-scaled snake or fierce snake is a snake of the family Elapidae native to Australia and the most venomous land snake in the world. Extremely venomous though it is, this snake is shy and docile. Recent studies indicate that it is the snake with the most lethal venom in the world.

Size

1.8 m – 2.5 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertFreshwaterGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Reptile Desert Freshwater Grassland

1countries17same family

Fun facts

GeneralThe most venomous land snake in the world, though it is shy and rarely bites anyone.
It is the most venomous land snake on the planet: a single bite contains enough venom to kill a hundred people, and its toxicity is tens of times greater than a cobra's.
Even so, no human death from its bite is known: it lives in remote areas, is retiring, and every recorded case, in herpetologists and keepers, has been treated with antivenom in time.
It changes colour with the season: it darkens in winter to absorb more heat and lightens in summer, a thermal adjustment uncommon among snakes.