The Small-scaled Snake or
Western Taipan
(Oxyuranus microlepidota)

This snake, which is sometimes wrongly referred to as the “Fierce Snake” is quite placid in temperament.

However, it does possess the world’s most toxic snake venom. This snake inhabits the channel country of south-west Queensland and north-east South Australia.

It feeds on the Plague Rat (Rattus villossimus).
This snake lays a clutch of 7-20 eggs which incubate for 66 days.
Grows to 2m.

Venom yield: 44mg (enough to kill 250,000 mice)
Venom ranking: World’s most potent snake venom
Fang length: 3.5 – 6.2mm

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