Inland Taipan
Oxyuranus microlepidotus · Elapidae
Also called: Fierce Snake, Small-scaled Snake
Drop for drop, the most venomous land snake in the world. Despite this, it is shy and reclusive and bites on humans are extremely rare.
What the Inland Taipan looks like
How to identify it
- 1Olive to dark brown body that changes shade with the seasons
- 2Rounded, dark head (darker in cooler months)
- 3Medium build with small, smooth scales
- 4Lives only in remote arid Australia
Snakes it's confused with
More widespread and responsible for far more bites.
Behavior & danger to humans
Reclusive and rarely encountered; calm but extraordinarily venomous.
⚠️ Danger: The most toxic venom of any land snake. Any bite is a critical emergency.
Related snakes
VenomousEastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus
The largest venomous snake in North America and arguably the most dangerous. Its hemotoxic venom destroys tissue and blood cells, and a defensive bite is a medical emergency.
VenomousCopperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
Responsible for more venomous snakebites than any other US species, but its bite is rarely fatal. Excellent camouflage in leaf litter leads to surprise encounters.
VenomousCottonmouth (Water Moccasin)
Agkistrodon piscivorus
A semi-aquatic pit viper named for the white interior of its mouth, which it gapes as a warning. The only venomous water snake in North America.
VenomousEastern Coral Snake
Micrurus fulvius
A relative of cobras with potent neurotoxic venom. Famous for the rhyme 'red touches yellow, kill a fellow' that separates it from harmless mimics.