Already at the first stage of its settlement by Europeans, the Australian continent amazed them with its abundance poisonous snakes. In total, 140 species of such creatures live there, and meeting many of them is extremely dangerous for humans.

Snakes of the Green Continent

Some species of these creatures are so accustomed to people that they even settle in urban areas. Snakes can be found especially often on farms, as well as in the suburbs. There are even cases where quite large specimens were found in supermarkets, and a few years ago a report appeared in the press that a 6-meter python fell through the roof and ended up right in the sales area of ​​one of the stores in Queensland.

Such close proximity could not but become a cause for concern, especially since Australian snakes often attack people. True, it must be said that they rarely take the initiative, and attack only if they think that they are being caught or killed. At the same time, due to the fact that in every medical institution in the country, as well as in the homes of many residents of the Green Continent, there is a sufficient amount of an effective antidote (antivenin), deaths rarely occur.

Although almost all snakes in Australia are potentially dangerous, we decided to talk about several of the most dangerous of them, living both on the continent itself and in its coastal waters. Getting to know them is extremely interesting, and the photographs of these creatures are simply mesmerizing.

Reticulated brown snake

This reptile lives everywhere throughout eastern half Australian mainland. She is aggressive, impetuous and has gained notoriety for her disgusting "temper".

The reticulated brown snake has dangerous venom. In terms of toxicity, it ranks second among analogues in the world.

Many believe that this reptile is from Northern Australia, since it accounts for greatest number victims of bites. This circumstance is connected not only with the aggressiveness of this reptile, but also with the fact that it prefers to settle on farms in rural areas, where it hunts mice.

If the reticulated brown snake senses danger, it raises its body above the ground, bending it in the shape of the letter S. After the bite, the venom enters the bloodstream, causing progressive paralysis. Victims typically lose consciousness within minutes and must take multiple doses of antivenin to stop the effects of the intoxication.

Western brown snake, or guardar

A reptile with this name lives in most of Australia, with the exception of only the most humid areas of the mainland. Guardar is less aggressive than the reticulated brown snake, but is also dangerous, especially since it has a nervous character. He attacks a person with lightning speed if it seems to him that they are trying to close the escape route, and bites painfully. However, this venomous snake of Australia, when bitten, releases three times more toxins than a brown snake, and victims will experience nausea, headache, and they also develop a severe form of coagulopathy, sometimes causing kidney damage.

Tiger snake

The habitat of this reptile is the entire southeastern coast of Australia. The tiger snake holds the record for the number of bites, as it likes to settle near human habitation. In particular, she is a frequent visitor even to the suburbs of Melbourne. The main activity of this Australia is to catch mice at night, so unsuspecting future victims can accidentally step on them and become the target of a furious attack.

The bite of a tiger snake, if the antivenin injection is not given in time, is fatal to humans. After it, pain appears in the legs and neck, the person feels tingling, he experiences increased sweating and numbness, and then breathing becomes difficult and paralysis develops. The toxins present in the venom also damage the blood and muscles and cause kidney failure.

Adult tiger snakes reach a length of up to three meters. They are colored with stripes ranging from yellow to black. Many people think this is Australia.

Inland taipan

This snake lives in cracks and crevices, as well as in some flat areas of the Green Continent.

The inland taipan tries to stay away from people, so it cannot claim the title of "Australia's most dangerous snake." At the same time, it has an extremely toxic poison, which, if it enters the body of an adult, can kill him in just 45 minutes.

The inland taipan hunts inside long-haired rat burrows using its powerful venom. Moreover, when a snake bites, it releases an amount of toxins that is 40 thousand times more than the amount required to kill a 200-gram rat. After this, the victim has little chance of resistance.

Coastal taipan

Habitat of this dangerous snake Australia - the northern coast of the mainland, as well as sugar cane fields, in which they easily find prey.

Coastal taipans have the most powerful and longest fangs among their relatives on the Green Continent. The length of this deadly “weapon” is 13 mm, and their venom ranks third in toxicity among other snakes on the planet.

Coastal taipans are nervous and wary, and will defend themselves fiercely if attacked or if their escape route is cut off. At the same time, this snake is not distinguished by its desire to approach people and tries to stay away from them.

Before the creation of an antidote in the second half of the 20th century, any taipan bite was fatal, since it introduced toxins into the victim’s body, causing internal bleeding.

Mulga

Another name for this reptile is the king brown snake. Its habitat is the entire territory of the mainland, except Victoria, the southwestern outskirts of Australia and

The mulga is the most massive of Australia's venomous snakes. In addition, when milking, she releases the most poison. In particular, there is an officially certified case when 150 mg of such a toxic liquid was released from its tooth, while its other relatives produce only 10-40 mg.

The mulga living in the south of the continent is distinguished by a calm and even rather timid character, while specimens living in the north of the continent are much more nervous. This snake bites without opening its jaws and chews the bite site. At the same time, it introduces a large amount of extremely toxic poison into the victim’s body, destroying blood cells, as well as nerve and muscle tissue. If you don’t have time to introduce it into the body effective drug, then with a fairly high probability a fatal outcome is possible.

Copperhead snake

This exceptionally beautiful reptile is also known as the magnificent denisonia. It differs from others in its ability to lead an active lifestyle even at temperatures that are considered too low for other reptiles. Copperheads live around dams, along canals, in marshy areas, roadsides and drainage ditches. It reaches a length of 1 meter or a little more and is distinguished by large, smooth scales. Individuals inhabiting valleys are usually lighter in color than snakes that live high in the mountains.

The copperhead snake is viviparous and produces 20 young in one brood.

The copperhead snake has a neurotoxic venom that destroys nervous system person, as well as his blood cells. However, it extremely rarely causes deaths.

Blackish hidden-eyed adder

Being only 50 cm in length, this reptile is considered quite miniature, but has quite toxic and dangerous poison. It contains a long-acting myotoxin, which also acts on the heart muscle for several days after the bite.

The blackish secret-eyed asp goes out hunting at night, so it rarely comes into contact with people. These snakes are black or dark gray in color and have a silver belly, which allows them to camouflage well in the dark. When disturbed, asps show aggressiveness, but are in no hurry to bite.

Green tree snake of Australia

Such reptiles also belong to the Aspida family. However, these are its most ancient and primitive representatives. They have inhabited the Green Continent since its separation from Gondwana and have flourished, since for obvious reasons viper and pit viper snakes could not penetrate there. At the same time, as a result of evolution, new species of adders appeared, including those with a green color. Another green tree snake, but belonging to the Viper family, lives in the forests of West Africa. In addition, a snake with this name lives in India. It has a flattened body, and if not for its head, it could easily be confused with a belt.

Red-bellied black snake

Encounters with this creature in Australia occur much more often than with other similar reptiles, including within cities. On this moment There have been no recorded deaths due to red-bellied black snake attacks. However, its bite is far from a harmless mosquito prick, and therefore causes significant pain and requires qualified medical care.

The venom of the red-bellied black snake disrupts the victim's blood clotting and causes damage to the muscles and nervous system.

Dubois's snake

Australian sea snakes, photos of which not everyone is familiar with, are even more poisonous than their land-based counterparts. In total, 30 species of such reptiles live there, including several extremely poisonous ones. Among them, Dubois is of great interest. This amazing creature breathes with its lungs and is an excellent diver. It can spend about two hours underwater. Its bite causes respiratory paralysis and the victim often suffocates to death within just a few minutes.

The snake lives at a depth of 1-30 m among corals, as well as muddy and sandy sediments, where a large amount of algae grows and many invertebrates, eels and fish live. At the same time, these places are an excellent and reliable shelter for a period of rest.

The right lung of the snake is many times larger than the left and serves as a kind of swim bladder for it. When diving, the reptile's nasal openings are closed with special valves, preventing water from penetrating into the lungs. Dubois snakes can also absorb oxygen directly from water through their oral mucosa. It contains many small blood vessels that perfectly absorb oxygen from the water. Thus, Dubois snakes can spend under water even up to two hours.

Belcher

By all accounts, this is the most dangerous sea ​​snake off the coast of Northern Australia. It got its name from scientist Edward Belcher and is striped in color. The victims of her attacks are usually sailors and fishermen, to whom she accidentally ends up in the net along with other inhabitants Indian Ocean. This sea snake from the coast of Australia has poison, 1 mg of which can kill 1000 (!) people. The reason for such exceptional toxicity is that the prey of belchera are cold-blooded fish, whose body can more easily cope with poisons. In this regard, killing them requires a significantly larger dose of poisons than in the case of small rodents.

Fortunately, encounters with the belchera are rare enough that much fewer people become its victims than in the case of other reptile killers.

"Extinct" sea snakes

A couple of years ago, biologists from J. Cook University discovered 2 species of sea snakes off the coast of Australia that were previously considered extinct.

Previously it was believed that these reptiles, found only in coral reefs, disappeared 15 years ago. The joy of scientists knew no bounds, and they began to carefully monitor their populations and investigate possible threats. One of the “resurrected” species is the short-nosed sea snake, recognized as one of the rarest in the world. By the way, several individuals were discovered during shrimp fishing, which indicates the vulnerability of these creatures in this fishery.

Now you know which sea snake in Australia is the most poisonous and which reptile is among the most dangerous to humans.

Taipans (genus Oxyuranus) are among the most venomous snakes in the world.

Currently, three species of this genus are known - the coastal (common) taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus), the cruel or ferocious snake (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) and the inland taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis) discovered in 2007.

Coastal taipan is Australia's largest venomous snake and one of the deadliest snakes in the world. Taipan venom has both a neurotoxic effect, causing paralysis, and a coagulative effect, preventing blood clotting. The length of adult individuals can reach 3 meters or even more. Besides Australia, coastal taipan also found in New Guinea. The New Guinea subspecies is darker in color than the Australian taipan.
Fierce snake smaller, up to 2 meters in length, but has a more toxic poison. It is believed to be the most venomous land snake on the planet. The color of this snake varies depending on the time of year: it is light in summer, it darkens noticeably in winter time. It is believed that the fierce snake is not as aggressive as the coastal taipan, but, unfortunately, I cannot comment on this opinion due to the lack of sufficient information.
All taipans have a slender body, with smooth scales and a beautiful head.

This is very fast snakes, having excellent reactions and capable of actively pursuing their prey.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom:
Animalia (animals)
Sub-kingdom::
Eumetazoa (multicellular, or eumetazoans)
Chapter:
Bilateria (bilateral, or bilaterally symmetrical)
Supertype:
Deuterostomia (deuterostomes)
Type:
Chordata
Subtype:
Vertebrata (vertebrates)
Infratype:
Gnathostomata (gnathostomes)
Superclass:
Tetrapoda (tetrapods)
Class:
Reptilia (reptiles, or reptiles)
Subclass:
Diapsida (diapsida)
Infraclass:
Lepidosauromorpha (lepidosauromorphs, or lepidosauromorphs)
Superorder:
Lepidosauria (lepidosaurs)
Squad:
Squamata (scaly)
Suborder:
Serpentes (snakes)
Family:
Elapidae (slates)
Genus:
Oxyuranus (taipans)
Kinds:

You won’t surprise anyone with poisonous snakes anymore. We also know black mamba, And tiger snake, And sand efu, and many other, no less dangerous representatives of the snake community. But which of them is considered the most terrible? Residents of which country can you openly sympathize with? It turns out that they are Australians. It is with them that the taipans live (lat. Oxyuranus), which are considered the most poisonous of all known land snakes.

Before the development of an antidote, 9 out of 10 people died from taipan bites. However, even today the picture remains depressing: after an encounter with deadly snakes, every second person bitten dies. By the way, to see a taipan up close and not get to know it poisonous teeth- real luck. After all, for these aggressive reptiles, a bite is the same as saying hello. In this situation, only one thing can please us: taipans do not often catch the eye of people.

In total, there are three types of these poisonous snakes: taipan or coastal taipan (lat. Oxyuranus scutellatus), cruel or ferocious snake (lat. Oxyuranus microlepidotus), and , opened just a few years ago. The latter was first discovered in 2007. It was a young female who was mistaken for an anomalous brown snake (lat. Pseudonaja textilis). A little later, the researchers realized that they were dealing with a new species of taipan. In 2010, several more individuals fell into the hands of scientists, but, unfortunately, this species is still poorly studied.

But the other two have already managed to “distinguish themselves,” so everything is more or less clear with them. The coastal taipan is found on the coasts of North-Eastern and Northern Australia. This is the largest and most aggressive species. Its body length reaches 3-3.3 m. On average, you can get 120 mg of poison from one snake (maximum 400 mg). If the taipan is disturbed, it raises its head, shaking it slightly, and then, with lightning speed, makes several throws towards the enemy. At the same time, he develops a speed of up to 3.5 m/s, and all his throws end in poisonous bites.

A person has very little time to administer the antidote. Otherwise, the poison will cause paralysis of the respiratory muscles, and this will prevent you from taking a much-needed breath of air. Also, the effect of the poison disrupts blood clotting. At the beginning of the last century, about 80 people a year died from the bites of these snakes. Most of the victims met them in the reed fields, where these reptiles like to hide.

In addition, sometimes taipans settle near human habitation, since they feed on frogs and small mammals (rats, mice), and there are always a lot of these animals near people. They hunt during the day. Coastal taipans can be recognized by their uniform color: they have a light or dark brown (sometimes reddish) body, a light head and a yellowish belly.

But the color of another species - a cruel or ferocious snake - changes. In winter, the reptile becomes significantly darker than in summer, and its head takes on a glossy black color. Body length varies from 1.5 to 1.9 m. Despite the name, a ferocious snake never attacks first. It prefers to hide in deep cracks and abandoned burrows, making it difficult to detect.

And why? After all, it is its poison that is considered the most dangerous. Just 44 mg is enough to kill about a hundred people. It’s unlikely that anyone wants to experience its effects. Maybe that’s why we know so little about the habits of this snake?

Fierce snake

Taipans (Oxyuranus listen)) is a genus of poisonous snakes in the family of asps. Large Australian snakes, whose venom is considered the most powerful among modern snakes - before the development of an antidote to it (in the city), they died from a taipan bite in more than 90% of cases. There are only 2 types: actually taipan And cruel snake.

Taipan

Taipan or coastal taipan ( Oxyuranus scutellatus) is the second most venomous snake on the planet and the largest (up to 3-3.3 m long) venomous snake in Australia. At the same time, the taipan is considered the most dangerous of venomous snakes due to the combination aggressive disposition, size and speed. Its poisonous teeth reach 13 mm in length. The color is plain, light or dark brown; the head is darker. The New Guinea subspecies is dark, with a copper stripe on the ridge. The pupil is round, the iris is orange. TAmirlan

The taipan lives along the coast of Northern and Northwestern Australia (from Brisbane to Darwin); its subspecies Oxyuranus scutellatus canni, discovered in the city, is found in southeastern Papua New Guinea. It is found in a variety of landscapes (except deserts); in New Guinea it prefers bush thickets along the edges of forests in river valleys. The lifestyle is predominantly daytime. It feeds on frogs and small mammals, including mice and rats, so it is often found near human habitation.

The taipan is very aggressive: when it sees danger, it raises its head, shakes it from side to side, then suddenly makes several lightning-fast attacks towards the enemy. A person bitten by a taipan can die in just a few minutes; Thus, in the state of Queensland, where taipan bites are most often recorded, every second person bitten dies. The venom glands of the taipan contain an average of 120 mg of poison; maximum - 400 mg. Taipan venom has predominantly neurotoxic (respiratory paralysis) and coagulopathic (impairs blood clotting) effects.

Fierce snake

Fierce (ferocious) snake (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) reaches a length of 1.9 m. The color of the back varies from dark brown to straw; varies depending on the time of year - in winter this snake is noticeably darker. The head may take on a glossy black color.

External links

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All known cases When people were bitten by these snakes, they ended in death. Only in the second half of the 20th century was it possible to create an antidote. And even then, if it is not administered within 3 minutes after the bite, the person will die within a few hours.

Taipans are the most intelligent, irritable and wary of all venomous snakes. They usually try to stay away from people, avoiding meeting people, and try to be noticed. However, when attacked or cornered, a taipan will defend itself fiercely, often inflicting multiple bites.
Taipans are “milked” by forcing them to bite a plastic jar with a rubber lid and inject their poison into it. From it, a medicine is subsequently obtained that saves people bitten by the taipan.

COASTAL TAIPAN (Oxyuranus scutellatus) is the most poisonous and largest snake in Australia. Distributed on the coast of the northern and northeastern parts of the mainland, as well as in the southeast of New Guinea. The length of her body reaches 3 meters. Very aggressive and attacks at the slightest irritation. The speed of such attacks can reach 3.5 meters per second. After such an attack, a person most often receives a painful bite from poisonous teeth, whose length reaches 1 centimeter, and a sufficient dose of poison.

Death occurs as a result of paralysis of the respiratory muscles and the inability to take a life-saving breath of air. In addition to the neurotoxic effect, taipan venom also has a coagulopathic effect when the blood clotting process is disrupted. The venom glands of the taipan contain up to 400 mg of poison, with an average of about 120 mg.

Even now, after the creation of an antidote, every second person bitten dies, and all because the life-saving serum will have the necessary result if it is administered in the first few minutes after the bite.

Due to its aggressive nature, large size and speed, the taipan is considered the most dangerous of all poisonous snakes in the world, although the strength of its venom is somewhat weaker than that of a cruel snake.

New Guinea coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus canni)

Australian coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus)

Inland Taipan or Fierce (Cruel) SNAKE (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)
Compared to the coastal taipan, it is much less aggressive.

It is shorter than the coastal taipan. Her maximum length is 2 meters. Color can vary from light brown to dark brown. In the cool season (June-August) it darkens, and the head becomes almost black in color.

One dose of its poison - about 44 mg - is enough to kill 100 adults or a couple of hundred thousand rodents. With an average lethal dose of 0.01 mg/kg, its poison is approximately 180 times stronger than poison cobras

Despite its frightening second name, it avoids people; moreover, throughout history, not a single case of death from this animal has been recorded.

Inland taipan or fierce snake (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)

CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN TAIPAN or WESTERN DESERT TAIPAN (Oxyuranus temporalis) has been practically not studied, since the species was discovered only in 2007 and was observed again in 2010.

Central Australian or Western desert taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis)