This awesome little critter can grow up to 2.5 meters, which may not be so impressive to some, but then again, big essences come in small packagings. Have a look at more pictures of it below. He had heard of nearby sightings, and in his free time would drive for hours in the area of the sightings — never spotting one. "It's been considered special by a lot of herpetologists like myself because it's had the highest venom toxicity in tests against mice.". It is a medium-large snake, averaging between 6 and 7 feet long. For Mr Francis, a fascination with the snake began when he was working in far north-western Queensland as an environmental consultant to mining companies. "We'd given up hope by that stage so it was quite a sight to see it sitting there on the side of the road in the sun," he said. Your email address will not be published. The Taipan is a venomous snake that lives in Australia. This is far from their actual personality though. On what was to be the last day of a trip in search of the inland taipan, Ryan Francis from Tasmania and David Nixon from the United Kingdom hopped into their four-wheel drive and started circling the dry, arid land known as Moon Plain. Compared with the related Coastal Taipan (and despite the alternative name ‘Fierce Snake’) this species is actually quite shy and many reptile keepers regard it as a placid snake to handle. They can be marvelled at in our Reptile House, right here at Australia Zoo. The Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), is a venomous snake of the taipan genus commonly found in semi-arid regions of central east Australia. The inland taipan snake lives in remote, arid regions of eastern Australia. Dramatic seasonal colour changes take place, with a darker winter and lighter summer coloration. The fierce snake is found throughout a remote area in south-west Queensland and north-west South Australia! "It would be nice if everyone understood that and respected snakes and didn't treat them in unnecessary ways.". How does the world’s most venomous snake attack? This snake is tremendously active when it comes to hunting, but it absolutely hates being in groups, hence preferring solitude. The Inland Taipan is most-commonly known as the small-scaled snake. "I couldn't believe it was real after well over a thousand kilometres of driving up and down seeing nothing, just rocks and dirt. "Snakes really are defensive, they aren't out there to get someone. It didn't want us to be there.". It does so, through its amazing ability to absorb heat. While its hollow fangs are less than an inch long, the inland taipan snake can inject enough venom with 1 bite to kill over 100 adult humans. Fierce snakes are well equipped for the long periods of little or no food. Inland Taipans are rarely encountered in the wild by the average person because of their remoteness and brief above-ground appearance during the day. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), Teen hospitalised after bite from deadly Taipan, Death adder study explores impact of snake relocation, Soldier who took his own life had among worst PTSD psychiatrist had seen, inquest hears, Sutton was emailed about use of private security in hotel quarantine, Footballer who 'didn't remember' dragging nurse down Melbourne laneway not guilty of sex crime, Police handed information on claims Vatican sent $1m to Australia in relation to Pell abuse trial, Famous cattle station once owned by Kerry Packer earmarked for massive solar farm, Lambie unfair dismissal case hears allegations of 'vile, profane, vulgar' language, sex talk in office, Fishing crews quarantined in New Zealand hotel test positive to coronavirus, Jobs for workers under 20 are on the up. They can vary in coloration, however, are typically a light brown, dark brown or a straw-like colour. "I wouldn't call it aggressive, but we were in its face and in its comfort zone. Inland taipan, also known as the western taipan, the small-scaled or the fierce snake, is an extremely venomous snake found in Australia. "Its toxin is perfectly developed for them, which might partially explain why it's got such a high effectiveness of its venom when we use it in tests on mice.". Meet the most venomous snake in the world – the Inland Taipan, or Oxyuranus. Its skin colour depends on the season and ranges from dark hue to brownish light-green. "This creates a lot of mystery because this is a snake living out in the middle of nowhere that hardly any people see, and here it is talked about as the most venomous snake on the planet. They spent about 15 minutes in the company of the snake, switching between taking photos and watching its behaviour. Compared with the related Coastal Taipan (and despite the alternative name ‘Fierce Snake’) this species is actually quite shy and many reptile keepers regard it as a placid snake to handle. The snake has a round snouted head. Mr Francis, who has travelled extensively to photograph Australian snakes, said they were portrayed in an unfavourable light. The fierce snake or inland taipan can reach a total length of 2.5 metres, although 1.8 metres is the more usual length. Eyes fixed on the road and scouring the "nothingness" of the rocky surface, the pair were about to pack up and head home when Mr Francis spotted the reptile about 20 metres off the road. Luckily for us, this little guy’s habitat includes rocks, deserts and hollow grounds, so unless you go looking for him, he won’t come a’looking for you. She knew who it was, but proving it was nearly impossible, NT Government scraps legislation oversight committee on first day of Parliament. It’s venom is far more powerful than those of the fearful cobras or vipers. The Inland Taipan has the ability to change it’s color depending on the season. The upper surface of the snake can vary from dark brown to a light straw colour. While the snake is difficult to find, a reptile expert from the Australian Museum, Stephen Mahony, said it was not considered a threatened species. "Snakes develop their venom for their prey and their prey is little rodents — long-haired rats and sometimes other Australian mammals that are about the size of a mouse.