Inland Taipan

Oxyuranus microlepidotus

Often called the world's most venomous snake, a shy brown snake of remote Australian floodplains that changes color with the seasons.

🐍 Snakes

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About the Inland Taipan

Inland taipans live in the remote Channel Country of southwestern Queensland and northeastern South Australia. They average about 6.5 feet long. Their color ranges from pale fawn to dark brown, with a darker head, and they turn darker in winter and fade in summer. They shelter in deep cracks in the clay soil and in burrows, and they eat small mammals, especially long-haired rats.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Oxyuranus microlepidotus^[1]
Size: Average about 6.5 feet; up to about 8 feet.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore. Small mammals, especially long-haired rats and house mice.^[1]
Habitat: Cracking clay floodplains with sparse shrubs.^[1]
Where it lives: Channel Country of southwestern Queensland and northeastern South Australia.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2017).^[2]

Fun facts

Inland taipans change color with the seasons.^[1]
Its venom works so fast it doesn't need to let go of prey.^[1]
It's also called the fierce snake, but it's actually shy.^[1]

Vocabulary

venomous: Able to inject poison by biting or stinging.
floodplain: Flat land next to a river that floods sometimes.
venom: A poison an animal injects by biting or stinging.
elapid: A family of venomous snakes with fixed front fangs, such as cobras and taipans.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Desert DomeSee this area on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Australian Museum. “Inland Taipan.” https://australian.museum/learn/animals/reptiles/inland-taipan/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Oxyuranus microlepidotus (Fierce Snake).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/42493150/42493160 (accessed 2026-10-02)