The Life of Animals | Taipan Snake | There are three known species: the coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus), the inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) and a recently discovered third species, the Central Ranges taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis). The coastal taipan has two subspecies: the coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus), found along the north-eastern coast of Queensland and the Papuan taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus canni), found on the southern coast of Papua New Guinea.
One species, the inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), which is endemic to Australia, has the most toxic venom of any terrestrial snake species worldwide. Pseudonaja textilis intervenes between the inland and coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) which has the third most toxic venom of any land snake. The venom clots the victim's blood, blocking blood vessels and using up clotting factors.
The coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) is considered as the third most venomous land snake in the world based on LD50, and arguably the largest venomous snake in Australia.Taipans can grow to 3 meters long. The coastal taipan is usually pale to dark brown in color, fading to a lateral cream, although juveniles are lighter in color. In several aspects of morphology, ecology and behavior, the coastal taipan is strongly convergent with an African elapid, Dendroaspis polylepis (the black mamba).
