Inland Taipan - The Most poisonous snake in the world!

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Snakes are probably the most successful creatures in the animal kingdom which have extraordinary capabilities to sustain and mutate according to the ever-changing ecosystem and environmental habitat. These can sustain on mud, trees, mountains, desert , and even oceans. There are even more than 3000 species of snakes in the world and each one is found in its own specific region or continent. 

While snakes are wild animals and should not be kept as pet but still many enthusiasts and reptile lovers keep them as pets and even share their home with their families as well. But recent incidents have shown that keeping snakes as pets can be disastrous and should only be dealt with by professionals. 

In America, a Python snake was kept as pet in the family with a 4-year-old boy. Things were fine at first as Python is a non- venomous snake and has become a very popular pet in America. But on an unfortunate morning, little boy was found dead in his bed with marks of constriction on his entire body which was later investigated and Python turned out to be the culprit of the killing.

                                             

Image Source-  Google | Image by - flickr

Whether it be a poisonous or a non- poisonous one, snakes should not be kept as pet apart from those research labs where life-saving drugs and anti-venom doses are developed using snake venom. Many critical illnesses of which cancer is the most common one ,is  treated through drugs made from cobra venom. Many kinds of research are under development which uses combination of different snake venom to treat HIV, Alzheimer's disease and several heart disorders.

Snake venom is generally of three types-

1)      Cytotoxins- This type of venom usually destroys the body cells completely. It may target a specific organ or tissue and completely destroy it. Cytotoxins not only cause necrosis but also liquefies internal organs of the prey which makes easier for the snake to digest.

2)      Neurotoxins- These are toxins attacks the nervous system of the prey. It causes paralysis in the prey where it cannot move and easily eaten by the snake.

3)      Hemotoxin -  It basically destroys the blood cells and interferes with the clotting factors in the blood which thereby destroys organs, causes internal  bleeding and ultimately death of the prey.

Habitat and Distribution 

Out of several species of poisonous snakes in the world, Taipan is the most poisonous s of snakes which include three sub-species which are – Inland Taipan, Coastal Taipan and Central range Taipan. Through several researches and studies in the past it has been shown that inland taipan is the most poisonous snake in the world. These are mostly found in Queensland and Southern region of Australia. 

                                             

Inland Taipan
Image Source-  Google | Image by - pixabay

While being the most poisonous snake, still it is one of the most shy ones and usually found in deserted cracked flood plains and rocky areas with slight vegetation long away from human habitation in remote areas. Living in these harsh conditions is the reason for less encounters with humans with would otherwise be fatal for humans as the venom acts on the prey’s body very swiftly.

Description and Diet 

The average size  of an inland taipan ranges from 5.5 to 6 ft in general with colourations varying from pale yellow to dark brown depending on the season and weather pattern. These mostly develop dark colours during the winters as these are found mostly durin the day in the open basking and warming in the sun as these are cold blooded and cannot regulate their body temperatures. Dark colours favours the absorption of heat in the cold winters.Their diet includes mostly small mammals and rats which are found in the burrows in the flood plains and occasionally hunt for other smaller reptiles as well. 

How deadly is Taipan's venom ?

These have neurotoxin venom which destroys the nervous system of the prey causing paralysis and venom interferes with blood clotting capacities which thereby destroys internal  organs. 

This is the main reason why the inland taipan is considered the most poisonous snake as in one bite it delivers around 40-44 mg of venom and even recorded a delivery of 110mg of venom in one bite which is enough to kill more than 200 people or more than 2000 mice in one go. The amount of toxicity in each gm of venom is most high for taipan which makes them the most poisonous ones.

                                                

Taipan
Image Source-  Google | Image by - Flickr

Conservation of Taipan 

Still being so poisonous , these are not threat to humans as these are present in remote areas and avoid contact with humans.It is also a fact that previous attacks on humans took place in act of defense by the snake  due to sudden encounters. So mostly these hideaway in deep burrows or openings and generally come out during the night.

When a Taipan attacks, the attack is so swift and they are incredibly great at camouflage that its prey doesn’t even get time to react and one bite is enough to do the job. These attain what is called ‘ S-shaped’  position while attacking which gives them an added advantage to bite more accurately.

While being so poisonous , still this species is threatened because these are already present in very confined areas in specific regions of Australia and human encroachment in these regions is causing their habitat loss and increasing the number of human encounters. Mostly these are being killed by the overspeeded vehicles on the highway roads in these region while they are basking in the open sun. These are creatures who cannot differentiate between a road and a forest land so we humans have to act responsibly to protect them.

                Save the Animals|Inland Taipan| Save the Species| Protect the Animals