Coastal Taipan
Oxyuranus scutellatus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Elapidae, Subfamily: Hydrophiinae, Genus: Oxyuranus, Species: O. scutellatus
Coastal regions of northern and eastern Australia, extending from northeastern New South Wales through Queensland and the Northern Territory to the northern parts of Western Australia, as well as parts of southern New Guinea.
Look up Coastal Taipan in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Elapidae, Subfamily: Hydrophiinae, Genus: Oxyuranus, Species: O. scutellatus
Conservation
Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List, facing few major threats aside from localized habitat loss due to agricultural expansion and secondary mortality from vehicular strikes or human interaction.
Physical Description
The specimen shows uniform dark brown to near-black dorsal coloration with smooth to slightly glossy scales, a robust and elongated body shape, and a distinct, broad head that is slightly distinct from the neck. The large dorsal scales are arranged in oblique rows, and the eye features a round pupil typical of active diurnal elapids.
Size & Dimensions
This individual appears to be a medium-to-large adult specimen measuring approximately 1.5 meters. The species typically grows to an average length of 1.5 to 2.0 meters, with maximum recorded lengths exceeding 2.5 meters.
Habitat
Found primarily in warm, tropical to subtropical coastal regions, inhabiting open forests, woodlands, tropical savannas, grasslands, and agricultural areas like sugarcane fields, often utilizing abandoned animal burrows, hollow logs, and debris piles for shelter.
Diet & Feeding
Predominantly endotherm-specialized, feeding almost exclusively on warm-blooded prey such as native rodents, small mammals, and occasionally birds. It utilizes an active foraging strategy, hunting in burrows and dense vegetation, subduing prey with rapid strikes before releasing it until it succumbs.
Reproduction
Oviparous species that typically mates in spring, with females laying clutches ranging from 7 to 20 eggs in underground burrows, rotting logs, or deep leaf litter, where incubation takes approximately two months.
Look-alikes
Can be confused with other large dark Australian elapids such as the Mulga Snake (Pseudechis australis) or Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis) color morphs, but is distinguished by its elongated, distinct head shape and specific dorsal scale configuration.
Conservation Status
Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List, facing few major threats aside from localized habitat loss due to agricultural expansion and secondary mortality from vehicular strikes or human interaction.
Cultural Significance
Holds significant place in Australian Indigenous cultures and folklore, often represented in traditional stories, while ecologically playing a vital role in regulating native rodent populations across its range.
Notable Features
Features remarkable agility, exceptional eyesight for a snake, and striking speed when hunting, along with a high level of alertness and defensive posturing when cornered.
Notes
Ingham Queensland Australia found in backyard