Is it a taipan?
Taipans have the unenviable reputation of being Australia’s most deadly snakes. The longest venomous snake in the country, the coastal taipan reaches an average length of 2.5m, with a maximum length of 3.35m. The head of a coastal taipan is large, rectangular-shaped and distinct from its narrow neck. The eye is a reddish colour. Adult coastal taipans have a uniformly light or dark-brown colouration above with a creamy-yellow belly that usually has reddish or pink spots towards the front. These spots are not as distinct as on the brown snake. They mainly eat rats and mice, and taipans are commonly encountered by humans in sheds, farm buildings and waste heaps. Coastal taipans occupy a wide range of habitats from tropical wet sclerophyll to dry forests and woodland. They are usually active during the day, but can be active at night during very hot weather. This is not a naturally aggressive snake and if disturbed, it will generally retreat. Humans are rarely bitten but, if a taipan is co
