Taipan snakes

The fact of being Australia, one of the continents with the largest poisonous species in our planet is striking. The list is composed of specimens as varied as the spider Atrax robustus or the sea wasp, a jellyfish that inhabits the waters north of the continent along with other species of fish (Synanceja) and octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) equally dangerous.

In the case of reptiles, there is no exception, the taipan snake integrates the list of the most poisonous snakes in the world, with a bite that is capable of killing a hundred adults or a quarter of a million mice. Simply amazing.

Its danger surpasses with advantage to many vipers, although encounters with humans are very few. Fortunately, it is a species that prefers to flee before confronting, although it is usually quite aggressive in mating seasons.

Description:  The taipan snake has similarities with other specimens such as the Mulga snake or the Oriental Brown snake. At present, three species of these snakes are known under the genus Oxyuranus, being the taipan of the interior (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), which possesses the most lethal poison of the terrestrial globe.                                                                              While the coastal variety of this snake has brownish tones that are accentuated on the sides, the interior taipan presents darker tones of brown or olive green. The presence of these colors is strongly linked to the meteorological changes and the seasons of the year (mimicry), which allows them to have a spectacular camouflage to go unnoticed and capture their prey more easily.As for the scales that they present, they are smooth and of a yellowish tone especially in the lower part of the animal. The head is usually darker than the rest of the body, favoring greater absorption of heat. It should also be noted, its impressive speed, despite having a considerable length that varies between 1.5 and 3 meters, even more.

The rest of his sisters are the taipan of the coast and the central taipan, the latter recently found and of which very little is known. The name Taipan comes from a term used by the Australian natives to describe their discoverer Donald Thomson.