Teen bitten by ‘world’s most venomous snake’ Teen bitten by ‘world’s most venomous snake’ Dylan Stableford Pin it Share A 17-year-old Australian boy is in serious condition after being bitten by what most reptile experts believe is the world's most venomous snake. According to the Sydney Morning Herald , the boy was admitted to a hospital in the town of Kurri Kurri with a snakebite on his left hand. He was later transferred to Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle. The snake, which was brought still alive to the hospital by the boy's friend, was identified as an inland taipan. The snake is native to western New South Wales—about 600 miles from where the boy was bitten. A spokesman for the Taronga Zoo in Sydney told the paper that a drop of the snake's venom "can kill 100 adult men and 250,000 mice." [Related: Kids keep 2-headed snake as pet ] Julie Mendezona, head zookeeper at Australian Reptile Park, told the paper that reports of inland taipan bites are extremely rare, and that there have been about 100 in Australia's history.

A bite will effectively "start shutting down the function of messages going to your brain, to your vital organs, your lungs and your heart and even your muscles," she said. "So, paralysis is usually what happens with the patient. Because it can act so fast, being a neurotoxin, that's what makes it such a deadly animal. It can kill someone within maybe 45 minutes. There have been reports of people experiencing effects of venom within half an hour as well. "It also contains an anticoagulant," she added, "which means it will interfere with the blood clotting, so therefore you can experience bleeding out as well." Barry Martin, a veteran snake catcher who was called in to identify the inland taipan, told the Daily Telegraph it's known as a "fierce snake." "They [used to be] called the 'two-step snake' as in it bites you, you take two steps and you're dead," he said. Reblog 1000+ images about taipan snakes on Pinterest | Wildlife photography, Pharmacology and Australia Inland Taipan - the most venomous snake in the world.

It should be no surprise to find that the inland taipan is also known as the “fierce snake.” See More The Fierce Snake / Inland Taipan Facts – Questions and Answers | Fun Facts You Need to Know! The Fierce Snake / Inland Taipan Facts – Questions and Answers The Fierce Snake / Inland Taipan Facts – Questions and Answers The Fierce Snake / Inland Taipan Facts! Questions and Answers – Venomous Snakes Of The World! Photo of a Fierce Snake (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) taken at Australia Zoo. Photo by XLerate, GFDL Q: Where is the inland taipan found? General range of inland taipan (in red). Image credit: Taipan198, cc2.5 acheter du Enhance 9 30caps en France Q: How long is the inland taipan snake? Image credit: AllenMcC., cc3.0 A: The inland taipan is a large snake that can grow up to 8 feet long, although most are between five and six feet long. It is olive-colored in the summer and dark brown in winter with dark, smooth scales arranged in diagonal rows.

The color change is an adaptation which allows the inland taipan to absorb more heat in winter and less heat in summer. Q: What do inland taipans eat? Inland Taipan Diet. Credit: Plendil 2,5mg 5mg 10mg dosaggio e effetti A: The diet of the inland taipan consists mostly of native rats, particularly the long-haired rat. When there are plenty of long-haired rats, inland taipans grow large and fat. However, during drought, long-haired rats are scarce and inland taipans must feed on other rats, as well as mice, quolls , numbats and birds. Like other snakes, the inland taipan is an ambush predator that silently stalks its prey and then strikes when the time is right. Unlike other venomous snakes, though, the inland taipan doesn’t just deliver a single bite and then wait for the animal to die from the venom. Rather, the inland taipan delivers up to eight bites in a single strike, then holds its prey. Now, this may seem dangerous since prey usually fight back. But not for the inland taipan.

The venom is so potent that the prey has no chance to put up a fight and the inland taipan swallows it whole without a fuss. A relatively effortless meal, don’t you think? Q: Does the inland taipan have predators? A mulga snake or King Brown Snake (Pseudechis australis), on the Western Cape, Western Australia. Image credit: Smacdonald, cc3.0 Arcoxia 60mg 90mg 120mg en ligne livraison express A: As fearsome a predator as the inland taipan may be, it has predators of its own. The inland taipan is eaten by the king brown snake, which is immune to its venom, and the perentie, the fourth largest living lizard which can grow over 8 feet long, as well. Q: Do inland taipans lay eggs? comprare Viagra Professional 100mg in farmacia A: Inland taipans are among the oviparous snakes, which means it lays eggs, usually in burrows abandoned by mammals or in deep, wide cracks in the soil.

They can lay as many as 20 eggs or as few as 11, the average being 16. They can produce two clutches of eggs in a year, especially if there is a lot of food. The eggs hatch after 9 to 11 weeks and the newly hatched snakes are around 18 inches long. They do not receive any parental care but already possess a deadly dose of venom with which to hunt and defend themselves. Q: Is the inland taipan endangered? acheter du Malegra FXT 100/60mg 100/40mg en France A: The inland taipan has not been assessed by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). However, it is considered as Near Threatened or Rare in Queensland and classified as a species of Least Concern in South Australia. It is protected by law and a special permit is required to capture it, as well as a separate special license to own it. Q: Why is the inland taipan called the fierce snake? Photo of a Fierce Snake (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) taken at Australia Zoo.

Photo by XLerate, GFDL Menosan 60caps miglior prezzo A: One of the alternative names of the inland taipan is the fierce snake, making it even more fearsome. Fierce, however, in this case does not mean aggressive. Rather, what is fierce is not the snake’s temper but its venom, which is highly toxic. The scientific name of the inland taipan is Oxyuranus microlepidotus. Oxyuranus comes from the Greek words oxus, oura and anus which, combined, mean ‘having a long-pointed tail’. Microlepidotus is a combination of the Greek words mikros meaning ‘small’ and lepidotos meaning ‘scaly’. Therefore, another name for the inland taipan is small-scaled snake. Q: Is the inland taipan the most venomous snake in the world? A: The inland taipan is widely considered to be the most venomous snake in the world. What this means is that its venom is the most deadly.

The venom of the inland taipan is a complex combination of toxins, including neurotoxins or those that affect the brain and nervous system, procoagulants which make blood clot, myotoxins which affect the muscles and nephrotoxins which affect the kidneys. What makes this combination even worse is the addition of hyaluronidase, an enzyme which speeds up the absorption of the venom. Aside from its quantity, the quality of the inland taipan venom is also deadly. There is enough venom in a single bite to kill 250,000 mice or 100 fully grown men. And remember, when the inland taipan bites, it doesn’t just do it once, but several times in rapid succession. Also, the inland taipan does not deliver a dry bite, like other venomous snakes, which means its bite is always laced with venom. Let us be clear, however, in saying that while the inland taipan is the world’s most venomous snake, it is not the world’s deadliest snake. To be a deadly snake, you need more than just lethal venom. Q: Is the inland taipan more dangerous than the coastal taipan?

Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus scutellatus). Image credit: AllenMcC. cc3.0 Aygestin 5mg senza ricetta acquistare A: There is another taipan living in Australia – the coastal or common taipan, cousin to the inland taipan. Like the inland taipan, it is venomous. It is larger, however, able to grow up to 11 feet long and is more widely distributed. Whereas inland taipans prefer dry areas, coastal taipans prefer wet areas, such as wetlands, forests and grassy plains. Is the coastal taipan more deadly? While its venom is not as toxic as that of the inland taipan, the coastal taipan is considered more dangerous than its cousin because it is larger, more easily encountered and more aggressive, striking quickly when threatened. Q: How many people have been killed by the inland taipan? A: Yes, an inland taipan can definitely kill, but it actually hasn’t. In spite of the toxicity of its venom, there has been no single fatality recorded from the bite of an inland taipan.

Only one bite is recorded per year, sometimes none at all, and the victims are usually adults healthy enough to travel through the outback. This means they have a better chance of surviving a snake bite from the start and with the treatment widely available, they are able to recover. Q: Why is a fierce snake bite so uncommon? Zyloprim 100mg 300mg in farmacia online sicuro A: A fierce snake bite is not at all common since fierce snakes live far away from people and are usually only active in the early morning. Also, inland taipans are shy snakes. When encountered by humans, they flee and hide rather than fight back. Q: What happens when you get bitten by an inland taipan? Most common symptoms of any kind of snake bite poisoning by Mikael Häggström, PD image. Plendil 2,5mg 5mg 10mg pas cher en ligne A: Upon getting bitten by a fierce snake, you will experience a headache, nausea, abdominal pain or dizziness within minutes. As time passes, you will find it hard to move and breathe until you become completely paralyzed, collapse, have convulsions and eventually succumb to organ failure.

Death can happen in as short as 45 minutes without treatment. If you are bitten by an inland taipan, then remove yourself first from striking distance, call for an ambulance or have someone drive you to the nearest hospital and while waiting, apply a compression bandage to restrict the blood flow and position yourself in such a way that the bite area is below your heart. Once you get to the hospital and receive antivenom, consider yourself saved, though it can take you weeks before you get out of the hospital depending on the severity of the bite. Inland taipan are featured in the following books: Steve Irwin Plays With Inland Taipan (Fierce Snake) by amorlombresias Deadliest snake in the world by 601ProductionLTD worlds most venomous poisonous snake by Gotcha29 Teenager Survives “Most Venomous” Snake Bite by NTDTV CarlZimmer.com: Articles Link The inland taipan, a nine-foot-long Australian snake, is not the sort of creature most people would want to bother. Drop for drop, its venom is the deadliest in the world, 50 times as potent as cobra venom.

Its fangs are so long they can poke through the snake's lower jaw. Its victims collapse in seconds and suffer a quick death. Dr. Bryan Fry, a biologist from the University of Melbourne, will readily admit he is not like most people. He not only bothers inland taipans; he hunts them down in dense cane fields, pins them down and bags them. Later he grabs them by the head and squeezes venom from their fangs. Besides inland taipans, Dr. Fry collects venom from death adders, rattlesnakes, king cobras, sea snakes and many others. He estimates that he handles 2,000 to 3,000 snakes a year. "Working with some of these snakes is the biggest adrenaline rush you could ever do," he admitted. "I used to do extreme ski jumping and big wave surfing, but none of that can touch working with some of these animals." Ultimately, this rush is not what drives Dr. Fry, who is 34. His goal is to decipher the evolution of snake venoms over the past 60 million years. Reconstructing their history will help lead to medical breakthroughs, Dr. Fry believes.

For the past 35 years, scientists have been turning snake venoms into drugs. Just this February, Dr. Fry and his colleagues filed a patent for a molecule found in the venom of the inland taipan that may help treat congestive heart failure. Understanding the evolution of snake venoms will speed up these discoveries immensely, Dr. Fry predicted. "You need a good road map to get your research going," he said. Snakes produce venom in special glands on either side of their upper jaw. When they strike their prey, they squeeze the gland, causing the venom to spurt out. In some species, the venom simply pours into the wound. In other species, like cobras and inland taipans, the venom first flows into hollow fangs and then into the prey. Once venom molecules enter a snake's prey, they become intimate assassins. Their intricate shapes allow them to lock onto particular receptors on the surface of cells or onto specific proteins floating in the bloodstream. Some venom molecules can plug the channels that muscle cells use to receive signals from neurons to contract. Without the signals, the muscles go slack, leading to asphyxiation. Other venoms send the immune system into a tailspin, making it attack the prey's organs.

Still others loosen blood vessel walls, leading to shock and bleeding. Rather than rely on one of these attacks, most venomous snakes produce a cocktail of molecules. Dr. Fry says he has been fascinated by venomous snakes ever "since I could walk." By the time he started his dissertation research on the inland taipan in the late 1990's, he was already experienced at catching snakes and milking their venom. To find new toxins, he would weigh the molecules in the venom, and when he found molecules that were close in weight to known venoms, he would isolate them for a closer look. As Dr. Fry discovered more venoms, he began to wonder how they had evolved. "It's been an area of great controversy," he said. Many researchers have argued that different lineages of venomous snakes, like rattlesnakes and cobras, evolved venom independently. They observed that the closest relatives of these venomous snakes were nonvenomous. Dr. Fry discovered that they were wrong. "Most of the snakes that we think of as nonvenomous are actually venomous," he explained. Garter snakes and many other supposedly nonvenomous snakes actually produce tiny amounts of venom. Dr.

Fry is quick to point out that this does not mean that garter snakes are dangerous. "All they need to do is stun a frog or slow it down a bit, and it's enough to help them," he said. These discoveries prompted Dr. Fry to carry out a large-scale study of the evolution of snake venom. His project would have been impossible a few years ago, because traditional methods for identifying new venoms are painfully slow. But the technology developed for the Human Genome Project has changed all that. "Instead of spending a couple months and getting two or three protein sequences done, in a month I can get up to 2,000 sequences done," Dr. Fry said. "It's an amazing increase in efficiency." "Fifteen years ago, this wouldn't even be thought of," said Alejandro Rooney, a molecular evolutionist at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill., who has collaborated with Dr. Fry on some of his venom research. Dr. Fry is able to identify all of the genes that are active in venom gland cells, and then read their DNA sequence.

About half of the genes that are active in a venom-gland cell produce well-known "housekeeping" proteins that are essential to any animal cell. Most of the others are venoms. After identifying new toxins, including many that represent entirely new types of venom, Dr. Fry said, "I think we've just scratched the surface." Dr. Fry has constructed evolutionary trees of these venom genes, and his results indicate that venom actually evolved only once in snakes. It started out being produced at low levels, as illustrated today by garter snakes. Later some lineages evolved a more deadly bite. "It's been the most important adaptation in the history of snakes," Dr. Fry argued. The snakes that evolved venom no longer had to rely solely on constriction or other ways of physically subduing their prey. "It's freed them up from having to be big-muscled and slow-moving and killing their prey using constriction," he said. "They can be light, agile, athletic, and they can occupy any niche from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the tallest tree." Dr. Fry's research has also shed light on the origin of venom molecules. A number of researchers have suggested that venom toxins are modified saliva proteins.

They point out that ordinary saliva proteins are able to start breaking down food in the mouth. Perhaps some tinkering was all that was necessary to turn them into lethal poisons. As Dr. Fry reports in the March issue of Genome Research, the DNA of venom genes goes against this idea. He constructed evolutionary trees of 24 venom genes, searching through online databases for their closest relatives among nonvenom genes. In only two cases did he find that venom genes evolved from saliva genes. In almost all the other cases, venom genes evolved from ones that were active outside the venom gland - in the blood, for example, as well as the brain and liver. The evidence indicates that the evolution of a typical venom gene may begin with the accidental duplication of a gene that is active in another organ. In a process known as gene recruitment, one of these copies then mutates in such a way that it begins producing proteins in the venom gland. In some cases, these borrowed proteins turn out to be harmful when injected into a snake's prey. Natural selection then favors mutations that make these proteins more lethal. "The snakes have harnessed these proteins, changed them and thrown them right back at us, which is a pretty elegantly evil way of doing it," Dr.

Fry said. Previous research on venom had offered hints that some toxins might have evolved this way, but nothing more. For example, Dr. Elazar Kochva, a zoologist at Tel Aviv University, and his colleagues had noted some similarities between the venom of burrowing asps and certain enzymes in mammals. "We alluded to it, but Bryan Fry said it loud and clear and with a lot of evidence," Dr. Kochva said. The concept of gene recruitment is not new, Dr. Rooney pointed out. Scientists have found evidence that it has played a role in the evolution of other organs, including the eye. "With venom, it seems to have occurred on a much grander scale," Dr. Rooney said. As new lineages of snakes evolved, their venom evolved as well. New genes were borrowed to produce new venoms, while existing venom genes duplicated many times, producing a huge diversity of molecules. This high-speed evolution allows snake venom to adapt to particular sorts of prey. Green mambas and black mambas, for example, are closely related species, but the green mambas live in trees while the black mambas live on the ground.

"Not surprisingly, the black mamba venom is more potent against rats than against birds," Dr. Fry said, "while the green mamba venom is more potent to the birds than against rats." This rapid evolution has produced a wealth of complex molecules that researchers have barely begun to investigate. Evolutionary trees can serve as guides, speeding the search for new venoms and shedding light on how venoms work. "Just looking by chance is very difficult and not economical," Dr. Kochva said. The venom molecules that Dr. Fry has isolated from the inland taipan is a case in point. He has established that they evolved from a family of proteins known as natriuretic peptides. In snakes, humans and other vertebrates, these peptides relax the muscles around the heart. In the ancestors of the inland taipan, the genes for natriuretic peptides began producing these proteins in the venom glands. Over time, their muscle-relaxing ability increased. Now they can stop their prey's aorta from contracting at all. "They drop the blood pressure, which will knock the prey out," Dr. Fry said.

"That gives the slower, but more lethal toxins a chance to exert their effects." These slower toxins create swarms of clots in a prey's bloodstream, setting off a vast number of strokes. "It's a good one-two punch." Dr. Fry and his colleagues report their study of these toxins in the Feb. 25 issue of Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. They are investigating the heart-relaxing toxins for treatment of congestive heart failure. By making blood vessels around the heart relax, it may be possible to increase the flow of blood out of the heart. Understanding the evolution of these venoms helps Dr. Fry and his colleagues figure out how they work. Because they have evolved from proteins that only act on the heart, they probably will not pose a risk to other parts of the body. "If you want to use a venom for some kind of drug, you'd better look back and see where it came from," Dr. Kochva said. Dr. Fry knows that few people are as fond of deadly snakes as he is. But he hopes that these sorts of discoveries help lead to the protection of the world's snakes. "If you kill off the snakes, you could be killing the next wonder drug," he said.

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company Content Management Powered by CuteNews What are the world's deadliest animals? - BBC News BBC News What are the world's deadliest animals? 15 June 2016 Image copyright AFP Image caption Crocodiles are opportunistic hunters What would you say is the world's most dangerous animal? A shark? A tiger? What about a crocodile? Although these apex predators are terrifying killers, the world's deadliest animal, year after year, is actually something much smaller - the mosquito. Here are some of the world's deadliest animals. Mosquitoes Image copyright AFP Image caption Mosquitoes are estimated to kill about 725,000 people every year. According to the World Health Organization, about 725,000 people are killed every year by mosquito-borne diseases. Malaria alone affects 200 million, of which an estimated 600,000 die. Mosquitoes also carry dengue fever, yellow fever and encephalitis. The sheer number of mosquitoes adds to the risk they pose to humans.

Unlike many other dangerous creatures, they can be found in nearly every part of the world at various times of year, and at peak breeding season they outnumber every other animal except ants and termites. Snakes Image copyright Hunter Reptile Rescue Image caption The Inland Taipan snake is the world's most venomous, but not deadliest. An estimated 50,000 people are killed every year by snakes. The most venomous snake in the world is the Inland Taipan, also known as the Western Taipan. Its venom is highly toxic and can kill a human being in under 45 minutes. More than 80% of those bitten by the Inland Taipan die. But it is not the biggest killer, because it rarely bites humans. The saw-scaled viper doesn't rank in the top 10 for venom toxicity - only 10% of bite victims die - but it lives around inhabited areas and it bites fast and often. The saw-scaled viper is estimated to kill about 5,000 people every year - more than any other kind of snake.

The Inland Taipan is native to central Australia, while the saw-scaled viper can be found in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, parts of the Middle East and Africa, north of the equator. The various Krait species, also among the world's most deadly, are found mostly in East Asia. Dogs Image copyright Reuters Image caption In countries where they commonly carry the disease, dogs are involved in up to 99% of rabies infections. Man's best friend? Perhaps, but not mankind's. Rabid dogs are responsible for the deaths of an estimated 25,000 people per year. In countries where dogs commonly carry rabies they are involved in up to 99% of infections, according to the WHO. Countries with large numbers of stray dogs, including India, are the worst affected. According to the WHO, about 36% of the world's rabies deaths - 20,000 of about 55,000 deaths worldwide - occur in India each year, most of those when children come into contact with infected dogs. Dying from an actual dog bite is much more rare.

There is no reliable worldwide data, but of the estimated 4.5 million dog bites in the US every year, only about 30 people die on average. Tsetse fly Media captionMaryam Abdalla reports on the blue targets luring tsetse flies The tsetse fly is roughly similar in size and appearance to the ordinary housefly, but it packs a lot more of a punch. The tsetse fly uses a large proboscis to bite vertebrate animals, including humans, and suck their blood. It carries African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, a parasitic disease which causes fevers, headaches, and joint pain, followed by vomiting, swelling of the brain, and trouble sleeping. Somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 people are thought to be infected with sleeping sickness every year, the vast majority in sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 10,000 die from the disease. Crocodiles Image copyright AP Image caption Crocodiles kill many more people every year than sharks. Crocodiles do not necessarily set out to hunt humans, but they are opportunistic killers.

In Africa alone there are several hundred crocodile attacks on humans per year, between a third to half of which are fatal, depending on the species. Many take place in small communities and are not widely reported. Worldwide, crocodiles are estimated to kill about 1,000 humans per year, many more than sharks. Alligators, which only occur in the wild in the US and China, are less aggressive than crocodiles but can still be dangerous. In the US state of Florida, 22 people have been killed by alligators since 1948, the state authorities say. Hippopotamus Image caption Male hippos can weigh up to 2,750kg. Ungainly as it is, the hippopotamus is the world's deadliest large land mammal, killing an estimated 500 people per year in Africa. Hippos are aggressive creatures, and they have very sharp teeth. And you would not want to get stuck under one; at up to 2,750kg they can crush a human to death.

1000+ images about Venomous Snakes on Pinterest | Pit viper, Australia and Black mamba Forward Taking a bite for the baby In October 2007, 17-month-old Charlotte Svillicic was playing in the yard of her family’s Australian home when the family dog, a Doberman pinscher named Khan, began to snarl. A king brown snake — one of the world’s most venomous snakes — was under the house. Khan tried to nudge the toddler away, but when she didn’t move, he picked her up by her diaper and tossed her a few feet behind him. The movement startled the snake, which lunged and bit Khan on the paw, but… See More Snakes of South-East Queensland (Department of Environment and Heritage Protection) Department of Environment and Heritage Protection Search Department of Environment and Heritage Protection Site navigation There is great variation between individuals within a single species of snake. The descriptions below are based on general characteristics. It can be difficult to positively identify some snakes. Never approach snakes and never assume that they are non-venomous. Snakes of greater Brisbane Twenty-seven species of terrestrial snake are found in the Brisbane area.

The combination of native habitat and the introduction of exotic animals have influenced the distribution of some species of snake. Some snakes can be found in suburban backyards and even in the city centre. The most commonly encountered species are the carpet python, common tree snake, keelback, yellow-faced whip snake, white-crowned snake and eastern small-eyed snake. It is important to note that a number of venomous snakes are found in and around Brisbane, including the coastal taipan, tiger snake, death adder, rough-scaled snake and eastern brown snake. Of these snakes only the eastern brown snake is regularly found in Brisbane's suburbs. Front-fanged venomous snakes (family Elapidae) This family includes front-fanged, venomous land snakes. Although this encompasses the highly venomous snakes of Australia, the venom of most species is harmless to humans. The venom injected by these snakes is used to immobilise or kill prey—sometimes a combination of toxic venom and constriction is used. These snakes are known to feed on small mammals, birds, reptiles (including other snakes) and amphibians. Common death adder.

Photo: Queensland Museum Common death adder Acanthophis antarcticus Warning: Venomous The common death adder is variable in colour, usually with contrasting cross-bands and has a large, almost triangular head and stout body. The thin rat-like tail ends in a curved soft spine and the tip is cream or black. It feeds on reptiles, mammals and birds, and attracts prey by using the tail as a lure. It is rare to absent in Brisbane but is known from Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious. The average size of the common death adder is 0.4 metres (m) with a maximum length of 1m. Eastern brown snake. Photo: EHP Eastern brown snake Pseudonaja textilis Warning: Highly venomous The eastern brown snake varies widely in colour from light tan to almost black. The belly ranges from cream to orange with darker orange blotches. To add confusion, hatchlings may have a darker head and neck band or can have dark cross-bands along their entire length. These patterns gradually disappear with age. The eastern brown snake occurs in a variety of habitats ranging from grassland through to eucalypt forests. It is distributed throughout all but the western parts of Queensland.

Active during the day, the eastern brown snake feeds on frogs, birds, mammals and reptiles. If provoked, the snake will rear up and adopt an S-shape strike posture, and will strike if cornered. It is uncommon in the settled areas of Brisbane but occasional sightings do occur. More commonly it is found in bushland and rural areas of the greater Brisbane area. The eastern brown snake grows to an average length of 1.5m. Eastern small-eyed snake. Photo: Queensland Museum Eastern small-eyed snake Rhinoplocephalus nigrescens Warning: Venomous This snake closely resembles the red-bellied black snake with a shiny black back and sides and a pink belly often with a row of dark spots. The pink does not extend onto the sides as it does in the red-bellied black snake. Its eyes are minute and black and barely noticeable from surrounding scales. It favours dark areas under sheets of tin, rocks and bark on fallen logs and feeds on small reptiles and occasionally frogs. It is common throughout Brisbane. The eastern small-eyed snake grows to an average length of 0.5m. Black-bellied swamp snake.

Photo: Queensland Museum Black-bellied swamp snake or marsh snake Hemiaspis signata Warning: Venomous—treat bites from large specimens with caution The marsh snake is olive to grey above with a grey to black belly. It has two narrow pale lines on each side of the face running through the upper lip and from the eye onto the neck. This snake preys on frogs and skinks and bears up to 20 live young. It is found throughout Brisbane in wet areas including rainforest, creeks and wetlands. This small snake can grow up to 50cm. Red-bellied black snake. Photo: Queensland Museum Red-bellied black snake Pseudechis porphyriacus Warning: Venomous The red-bellied black snake is shiny black above with a red belly (sometimes pinkish or white). It is superficially similar to the small-eyed snake. These snakes occur in a variety of habitats near water but are more frequently encountered in wetter vegetation communities. They are active during the day and are often found basking in sunny patches in grass. Red-bellied blacks feed primarily on frogs but also eat small mammals and reptiles. They bear live young.

This species was once common across Brisbane but is believed to have decreased in numbers due to the impacts of preying on cane toads. It is now restricted to the cooler areas north and south of Brisbane. It can grow to an average length of 2m. Red-naped snake. Photo: EHP Red-naped snake Furina diadema Warning: Venomous/not considered dangerous The red-naped snake has a red or orange nape that is usually enclosed by a black head and neck band. However, in some individuals, the nape is a complete band causing confusion with the orange-naped snake. The red-naped snake is reddish-brown above, with flanks lighter in colour and most scales bear a dark brown or black diagonal edging. It is common in coastal and central western Queensland and is nocturnal, feeding on skinks. It can grow up to an average length of 0.4m. Rough-scaled snake. Photo: Queensland Museum Rough-scaled snake Tropidechis carinatus Warning: Venomous/potentially dangerous The rough-scaled snake is olive to greyish above with black flecks forming irregular bands or blotches and a greenish grey belly. The head is clearly distinct from its neck.

Rough-scaled snakes get their name from raised lines or keels on the scales covering its back and sides. This snake can be confused with the keelback (freshwater snake), which also has strongly keeled scales, and both can occur near water (see Keelback description for differences). It occurs across a range of wetter habitats and feeds on small mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs. This species is more common in the hinterland areas of Brisbane including the D'Aguilar Range. This species can grow up to 1m in length. Spotted black-snake. Photo: Queensland Museum Spotted black-snake Pseudechis guttatus Warning: Venomous The spotted black snake is also called the blue-bellied black snake. It is variable in colour ranging from black and dark grey with white or cream spotting on individual scales through to a pale form where the scales are cream with black tips. The belly can be either grey or blue-grey. The spotted black snake occurs in open forest, grassland and pasture areas, particularly near wetlands, including the Mount Crosby, Lockyer and Brisbane valleys. It feeds on frogs, small reptiles and mammals. It can grow up to 1.5m in length.

Coastal taipan. Photo: EHP Coastal taipan Oxyuranus scutellatus Warning: Highly venomous The coastal taipan is light to pale brown above and paler on the sides. The snout and lower jaw is paler than the rest of the body, usually pale-yellow in colour. The head is rectangular ('coffin-shaped') with a distinct neck. They have large eyes with a reddish-copper iris and round pupils. Taipans are mostly active during the day, feeding on small mammals in eucalypt woodland, grassland, grassy beach dunes, pastures and cane fields. Taipans will defend themselves aggressively if provoked. This species occurs outside the Greater Brisbane area and has been found at Beaudesert, Canungra, Camp Mountain, Closeburn and Ipswich. They grow to an average length of 2.6m. Eastern tiger snake. Photo: EHP Eastern tiger snake Notechis scutatus Warning: Venomous Eastern tiger snakes vary widely in colour from light grey to almost black often with narrow cross-bands made up of lighter yellow-edged scales. Its belly is lighter in colour, ranging from cream and yellow to grey.

The snake is found in a wide range of habitats and feeds mainly on frogs. It is not known from the Brisbane area but has been recorded in moist, dense rainforest including Bunya Mountains and the Lamington plateau, and wetter coastal heaths around Caloundra and Beerwah. The eastern tiger snake can grow up to 1.2m in length. White-crowned snake. Photo: Queensland Museum White-crowned snake Cacophis harriettae Warning: Venomous. Not dangerous to humans The white-crowned snake is dark grey above, with a light grey belly and a broad white band across the neck, sweeping forward around the side of the head and across the snout, creating the 'crown'. The crown surrounds the black scales on the top of the head. It is considered to be one of the most common snakes in Brisbane, even occurring in the inner city. It inhabits compost heaps and damp areas of gardens. A similar species, the dwarf crowned snake, has a thinner white band around the top of the head and is slightly shorter in length (0.35m). This species grows to an average length of 0.4m. Yellow-faced whip snake.

Photo: Queensland Museum Yellow-faced whip snake Demansia psammophis Warning: Venomous/large specimens potentially The yellow-faced whip snake has a dark yellow-edged bar around the front of the nose and a dark comma-shaped streak from the eye to the mouth. Whip snakes are slender with whip-like tails. They are active during the day, very agile and usually escape quickly when disturbed. This species can be found throughout Brisbane. It can grow to an average length of 0.8m. Pythons: non-venomous constrictors (family Boidae) Most pythons are large snakes well equipped for detecting, immobilising and consuming large prey. Pythons are generally nocturnal, but are known to bask in the sun during the cooler months. They are non-venomous, with backward curving solid-teeth (no fangs). Pythons kill by coiling around their prey and squeezing until suffocation occurs—a technique known as constriction. Pythons feed largely on mammals, reptiles and birds. Most have heat-sensing pits along the lower jaw to locate warm-blooded prey. These pits can detect temperature changes of less than one-thirtieth of a degree. Carpet python.

Photo: EHP Carpet python Morelia spilota Non-venomous The carpet python ranges from pale to darker greyish-green or brown in colour. It has black-edged pale blotches enclosing pale yellow spots and markings. The belly is cream or yellow, variegated with dark grey scales. The scales on top of the head are granular (there are no large head shields between the eyes). It is often found in trees, sometimes living in another animals' burrow. These pythons are often encountered on the road on warm spring and summer nights in all habitat types within their range. They are mainly active at night, feeding on mammals, reptiles, birds and frogs. This species is found throughout Brisbane and has even been found in the centre of the city. They grow to an average length of 2m (specimens are known to exceed 4m). Spotted python. Photo: EHP Spotted python Antaresia maculosa Non-venomous The spotted python is generally light brown in colour with a series of darker brown blotches along the back giving the impression of irregular spots. It is found in a variety of habitats ranging from eucalypt woodland through to rainforest and is usually seen at night.

It feeds on reptiles, birds and small mammals. The spotted python grows to an average length of 0.75m. Non-venomous and rear-fanged venomous snakes (family Colubridae) This family includes a small group of snakes with a range of specialised characteristics and habits. Some of these species are arboreal while others favour semi-aquatic habitats. These snakes are either solid-toothed and non-venomous or rear-fanged and weakly venomous. They eat small prey including frogs, lizards, birds and rodents. Brown tree snake. Photo: EHP Brown tree snake Boiga irregularis Warning: Venomous (rear-fanged) Bites from large individuals should be monitored carefully. The brown tree snake is sometimes known as the 'doll's eye' or 'night tiger' - names referring to its large yellow eyes and banded body. It is usually brown to reddish-brown with irregular darker cross-bands. The brown tree snake is mainly found in eucalypt woodland but also occurs in rainforest. It is nocturnal and is generally found in trees. The snake eats mainly birds and their eggs, but will also prey upon small mammals, frogs and reptiles.

The species is rear-fanged with weak venom. It can grow up to 2m long. Common tree snake. Photo: EHP Common tree snake Dendrelaphis punctulata Non-venomous The common tree snake is highly variable in colour and is also known as green tree snake, yellow-bellied or blue-bellied black snake. The body is extremely slender and can be either grey, olive-green, various shades of brown, black, even blue and turquoise. It can inflate its body to show patches of bright blue skin between the body scales when disturbed. The underside is usually cream or yellow or light blue in some individuals. Common tree snakes are found in a variety of habitat types, but are usually seen in eucalypt woodland or rainforest areas. They are active during the day in trees and on the ground, feeding mostly on frogs and birds. This snake occurs throughout Brisbane. They grow to an average length of 1.5m. Keelback.

Photo: EHP Keelback Tropidonophis mairii (also known as freshwater snake) Non-venomous The keelback or freshwater snake's head and neck are grey-green or brown with the body grey-green to brown typically with cross-bands of darker flecks. Upper body scales are strongly keeled or ridged. A loreal scale is present (a scale situated between the nasal scale and scales directly in front of eye), distinguishing it from the venomous rough-scaled snake. The keelback is found in and around creeks, rivers and marshlands. It feeds largely on frogs (including cane toads) that it actively pursues during the day or night. It grows to an average length of 0.5m. Caution: this snake closely resembles the venomous and dangerous rough-scaled snake. Blind snakes (family Typhlopidae) Blind snake. Photo: Queensland Museum Ramphotyphlops spp. Non-venomous Blind snakes are small, smooth, worm-like burrowers with glossy, close fitting scales and bluntly rounded tails, ending in a short spur. They have small, dark spots for eyes which probably only sense light and dark.

These snakes feed on termites and the eggs, larvae and pupae of ants and are often encountered foraging on the surface at night following rain. Blind snakes are non-venomous and the structure of their mouths makes them incapable of biting humans. However they do have well developed anal glands that secrete a strong smell when disturbed. Legless lizards (family Pygopodidae) Burton's flap-footed lizard. Photo: EHP Some backyard reptile encounters may involve a small snake-like creature that could be a legless lizard. Unlike snakes, legless lizards have external ear openings, broad fleshy tongues and belly scales that are the same size as those on their upper body. Remnants of hind limbs (flaps) can be seen. Legless lizards are non-venomous burrowers that live in moist, dark areas. They feed on insects and small reptiles, and are usually found in or near compost bins and vegetable gardens or under leaf litter. Some skinks (family Scincidae) that live in leaf litter or burrow in the ground also have reduced or absent limbs. These skinks share many of the characteristics of legless lizards.

Last updated Australia's most dangerous animals - Australian Geographic BUY NOW IT'S ALL VERY WELL to spend millions of dollars on Oprah Winfrey spruiking our wide, open spaces, but watch that publicity lose its gloss when actor Sam Worthington brings up the subject of Australia's dangerous creatures on The Late Show with Dave Letterman. Letterman: "Can you just go out and play? I mean it's dangerous in Australia." Worthington: "You're aware of the dangerous animals. We have dugites...which is like one of the most poisonous snakes in the world...and if it bites you, you have 10 seconds...You have redback spiders; same thing, if it bites you, you have 10 seconds." Letterman: "So what's a person to do?" Worthington: "Pray." Which is exactly what Tourism Australia did when their media monitors caught wind of The Late Show interview: prayed that no-one was watching. Three and a half million isn't many, is it?

And that's the problem with the rep garnered by Australia's creepy crawlies: yes we have some of the world's most dangerous, but like Worthington's most famous effort, Avatar, they're also unfairly maligned if you consider the context. In general, Avatar didn't harm anyone and for the most part neither do the creatures in our bush. It doesn't help that the likes of Worthington (along with a legion of Poms and Kiwis) tend to blow things out of all proportion. I mean, honestly: a dugite (a type of brown snake found only in the south of Western Australia) while dangerous does not kill in 10 seconds. If it did, the seven year-old Perth boy who was bitten after a dugite crawled into his bedroom and wrapped around his arm while he slept, would not be alive. After seeking medical attention quickly, he made a full recovery. And a red-back spider? From the Australian Venom Research Unit at the University of Melbourne: "Red-back spider bite is thought to be the commonest serious spider bite in Australia, particularly over the summer months.

An antivenom was introduced in 1955 and no deaths attributed to treated redback spider bites have been reported since." Then there's the online hysteria, an entry after a list of the world's deadliest snakes reading: "Everything in Australia wants us dead, and everything has the capability to make that a reality. (Ianz09)" That reality, Ianz09, is about as plausible as Avatar. Still, there are a few creatures lurking in Australia's wild places that, wrong time, wrong place, can cause, as the Monty Python crew would say, "just a flesh wound", or so. Okay, so it's a flesh wound you may want to get to the hospital in a hurry to treat, but it won't necessarily kill you as quickly as Hollywood would have you believe. Unless it's a crocodile. They'll kill you quite quickly, actually. FUNNEL-WEB SPIDER (Atracinae) A bite from this highly venomous spider can kill a human in two hours, with a toxic cocktail that switches on all your nerves at once.

While no-one has died from a funnel-web bite for more than 30 years, the spider remains a creature that raises hairs on the back of everyone's neck. The Australian Venom Research Unit's Dr Ken Winkel reckons the funnel-web is peerless, worldwide, in terms of how venomous it is. "No other spider can kill an adult in two hours," he says of the funnel web, which is a spider of ancient classification, more primitive than most. "They are a black and hairy, an almost demonic-looking spider - so they don't do themselves any favours in the likeability stakes. And they are aggressive, especially the males in the summer looking for a mate." Ranging from 1-5cm, funnel-web spiders live in burrows in the ground, or in stumps, tree trunks or ferns. What most people think of as a funnel web is actually a collection of about 35 different species, many of which are dangerous. The Sydney funnel-webs, Atraxrobustus, garners the most attention.

They carry a very powerful neurotoxin which can be administered in large doses - hence they get a particularly bad reputation and are responsible for 13 of Australia's 27 recorded deaths from spider bites in the past 100 years. "But there are other species of funnel-webs that can cause trouble," says Ken. "Particularly the tree-dwelling variety in northern NSW where the female is as dangerous as the Sydney funnel-web." There is also a variety that lives around the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast hinterland whose venom, while not as bad as its Sydney cousin, can still cause serious illness. A funnel-web's venom is packed with at least 40 different toxic proteins (called peptides). Only one, robustoxin, is really dangerous to humans. Like snake neurotoxins, robustoxin disrupts nerve signals, but in the opposite way. Instead of shutting down nerve signals, it switches them all on at once, causing massive electrical overload in the body's nervous system.

The protein attaches itself to nerve synapses and prevents them from switching off - salivary glands, tear ducts and sweat glands all run uncontrollably, muscles begin to spasm, blood pressure climbs as vessels contract and then falls to dangerously low levels. Most fatalities occur from either cardiac arrest or a pulmonary oedema, where the capillaries around the lungs begin to leak and the patient effectively drowns. As with with snakebite, first aid for a funnel-web envenomation is pressure-immobilisation while ensuring breathing and circulation are maintained along with urgent hospitalisation. DISTRIBUTION: The Sydney funnel-web spider is found within 100km of the city. In the tropics and subtropics, they favour rainforests and higher altitudes, but in southern states they live in drier eucalypt forests and woodlands, as well as snow country. HOW AND WHERE IT'LL STRIKE: Keep your hands out of deep, dark places. Get to hospital quickly if you're fanged and apart from a case of arachnophobia, you'll live.

NUMBER OF DEATHS: Nobody in Australia has died from a spider bite since 1980 after the successful introduction of antivenom for all native species. DID YOU KNOW? Not all creatures are affected by funnel-web poison: mice, rabbits, guineapigs, dogs and cats are relatively immune and often survive 100 times the lethal human dosage. In general the male is five times more dangerous than the female. BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS (Hapalochlaena maculosa, h. lunulata) Tiny it may be, but this octopus can cause serious damage. With a painless sting, you won't even know you've been bitten. "The blue-ringed octopus represents a double-edged sword," says Ken. "They are uncommon, reclusive, and don't like human activity." So pretty harmless, then? "Well, you need to work hard to be bitten. The last-recorded fatalities were instances where humans proactively interacted with the creature.

That said, I know of a tourist recently who picked up a shell, put it in his pocket and there was a blue-ringed octopus inside, which bit him - they are quite small, smaller than you'd think." Under 12cm as a matter of fact, and its body is the size of a golf ball. They live in reef flats and tidal pools, secrete themselves in rocks and in crevices and, as in this case, have a habit of squatting in dead shells and discarded cans. The tourist in question got a nasty fright - through its salivary glands the blue-ringed octopus administers a powerful nerve toxin called tetrodotoxin, which causes a paralysing effect within 10 minutes. There is no antivenom. "If you happen to be by yourself you may be in trouble," says Ken. "But if someone is with you and knows to support your respiration - CPR if necessary - and you seek medical help urgently, then you will live." As with snakebites, pressure-immobilisation is recommended for blue-ringed octopus envenomation.

And just because you can't see blue rings flashing at you from the rockpool, don't think that it's not a blue-ringed: the creature's usual colour is a mottled brown. The bright, blue rings appear on its skin only when it is threatened (and thus you are in some danger of a bite). If you do get bitten, it won't be painful and may go unnoticed. But the toxin acts quickly and symptoms include weakness, numbness around the face, nausea and vomiting. Death may occur in as little as 30 minutes, especially in the vulnerable (children, the elderly, or people with heart and other health conditions). DISTRIBUTION: Entire Australian coastline in warm, shallow waters. HOW AND WHERE IT'LL STRIKE: Keep your hands and feet out of small, underwater crevices. NUMBER OF DEATHS: It has only been attributed with causing three known deaths. There have been no deaths since the 1960s and hospital admissions are exceedingly uncommon. DID YOU KNOW? The blue-ringed octopus has blue blood, three hearts and enough poison to kill 26 humans.

The same nerve toxins injected by a blue-ring are found in the flesh of fugu fish - a pricey delicacy beloved by the Japanese. The ingestion of fugu that's not been expertly prepared leads to more hospitalisations than blue-ringed octopus bite. IRUKANDJI & AUSTRALIAN BOX JELLYFISH (Carukia barnesi, malo kingi and chironex fleckeri) It's searingly hot and all you want to do is cool off in the ocean...but beware the deadly, silent and invisible killers lurking under tropical waters. The Irukandji jellyfish is oft quoted as the most dangerous jellyfish, perhaps because less is known about it. It is highly poisonous and is also an unseen menace, being a tiny, translucent 1-2cm diameter bell. No wonder the Irukandji people, near Cairns, didn't know it was the jellyfish causing a mysterious illness among their people. The Irukandji's four stinging tentacles trail up to 30cm behind them. Get stung by them and you can develop what is known as 'Irukandji syndrome'.

The sting site itself is only moderately painful, with little tissue damage, but approximately 30 minutes later, a victim develops symptoms, including severe back and abdominal pain, limb or joint pain, nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating and agitation. They may also experience numbness or paraesthesia - a sensation of tingling, burning, or pricking of the skin - and psychological phenomena such as a feeling of impending doom. Victims often require hospitalisation and serious painkillers and intravenous narcotics. Despite the Irukandji's reputation for causing illness, Ken rates the box jellyfish - a related but different grouping - as "undoubtably the most dangerous in the world". It has been labelled as "the most lethal creature known to mankind"."We still have a fatality every year or two from the box jelly," Ken says. "In terms of creatures with the ability to kill quickly - a couple of minutes - it is almost peerless." The box's lethality resides in its ability to deliver a significant amount of venom via hundreds of thousands of injections at once. "The Irukandji has four tentacles, one on each corner, whereas the box has up to 15 tentacles coming from each corner.

That's up to 60 tentacles all with millions of injection harpoons filled with venom." First-aid for box jellyfish stings involves pouring vinegar over the site, removing tentacles and taking painkillers; however, the vinegar does not remedy the poison already injected. The result of a sting is severe localised pain, often associated with vigorous attempts by the patient to remove the tentacles, confusion, agitation, unconsciousness with respiratory failure and/or cardiac arrest. Due to the rapidity of onset of symptoms, immediate first-aid is vital and cardiopulmonary resuscitation may be required. DISTRIBUTION: Box jellyfish prefers to be near the coast, whereas Irukandji species tend to be both close to shore as well as further offshore, including near offshore reefs. They are both found near South East Asia. HOW AND WHERE IT'LL STRIKE: Both jellyfish have tentacles that are generally invisible, can entangle you and have millions of harpoons that inject a lot of venom at once. The box jellyfish in particular is the only one on this list that can kill in minutes. Ergo, highly dangerous.

NUMBER OF DEATHS: Jellyfish account for more than 80 known deaths since 1883. The box jellyfish was responsible for 79 deaths, and Irukandji the other two. DID YOU KNOW: Named after the Irukandji people, the Irukandji was first identified in 1961 by Dr Jack Barnes who, in order to prove it was the cause of so-called Irukandji syndrome (named in 1952), he captured the tiny jelly and allowed it to sting himself, his son, and a lifeguard. INLAND TAIPAN (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) Get fanged by one of these guys and you're in for a bumpy ride: this snake has the most toxic venom of any land snake in the world. When it comes to boasts, this one takes the cake: the biggest yield recorded for one bite was 110mg - that's enough to kill 100 humans. If you get envenomated, you're in for a bumpy ride.

The venom has a neurotoxin that immobilises by paralysis, the poison binding to nerve endings, blocking electrical activity and shutting down communication between the brain and muscles. You'll experience headaches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, blurred vision and dizziness, sometimes accompanied by convulsions and, in severe cases, coma. The neurotoxin is also a myotoxin, meaning it eats away at muscle tissue. Your urine may turn reddish-brown as muscles dissolve and are passed through your kidneys. In turn they are badly damaged by filtering so much tissue debris out of your blood, and kidney failure is a common complication and cause of death. Internal bleeding is the other major complication. The snake's second main toxin is a anticoagulant, which prevents blood-clotting by removing the body's supply of its natural blood-clotting agent, fibrinogen. This causes persistent bleeding from the bite site and can lead to more serious - sometimes fatal - internal haemorrhaging, especially in the brain.

Though it could potentially kill an adult human within 45 minutes, the inland taipan is not particularly aggressive and, with no known fatalities, and the only known bites being inflicted upon snake handlers effectively looking for trouble, you could say they present less of a threat than other snakes. Dr Ken Winkel from the Australian Venomous Research Unit at the University of Melbourne, rates the brown snake as Australia's most dangerous based on the combined factors of venom toxicity (highly toxic), temperament (more 'nervous' than the inland taipan), distribution (widespread across mainland Australia) and likelihood of encounter given their diverse habitat (higher). "The brown snake - considered the second-most venomous land snake in the world - is much more nervous and more likely to strike," says Ken. "While there are no known deaths from the inland taipan, every year there is death by a brown because it is more widely distributed and it doesn't mind urban and farm areas." Of all Australian snakes, the brown is responsible for the most carnage. "Of the average 500 to 600 annual admissions to hospital attributed to snakebites, 50 per cent can be attributed to browns," Ken says.

He points out that Victorians do have more trouble with the tiger snake, which accounts for more hospitalisations in that state than the brown. Even so, Australia-wide there are only about 2-4 deaths a year as a long-term average over the past 30 years for all snakebites. DISTRIBUTION: There have been sightings in northern NSW and in northern SA so the true range is unknown. HOW AND WHERE IT'LL STRIKE: You're unlikely to encounter it, unless you're a desert dweller. But if you do, and it bites, you're in strife. NUMBER OF DEATHS: All recorded bites to date have been to snake handlers and no deaths have been documented. DID YOU KNOW? If the situation is handled calmly, it can take hours before a serious paralysing effect presents in an adult bitten by a taipan or other venomous Australian snake. Using immobilisation and bandage pressure, you can buy yourself hours, if not days to get assistance. It is better to stay put and send for a chopper than try to walk out of the bush when bitten.

SALTWATER CROCODILE (Crocodylus porosus) Regarded as one of nature's most effective killing machines, you don't stand a chance if a hungry saltie takes a liking to you. The salty has reason to look so smug as it eyes you off from the riverbank: it is the world's largest reptile and regarded as one of nature's most effective killing machines. Most salty attacks occur between late September and January when crocodiles are hungry after the dry season and are preparing to breed. On land they are fast (faster than a horse over short distances) and in the water you won't know they are there until you're cuddling one as you succumb to its signature 'death roll'. When they strike a large animal (like us), crocodiles usually grab a head or limb and then roll you into the water, generally breaking your neck or drowning you, so they can then dismember you into manageable bite-sized chunks. Their immensely powerful jaws will easily crush your bones. "Holding a 5 kilogram croc around the neck is hard when it really starts to struggle.

With a much larger animal (say 500 kilograms) you have little chance," says Professor Grahame Webb, Australia's leading expert on crocodiles and chief of Crocodylus Park, a crocodile research and education centre in Darwin. Grahame reckons salties deserve their fearsome reputation. "Those who sugar-coat salties and the danger they present are doing themselves, the public and crocodiles in general a great disservice," he says. "Dive into a river in their territory and there is 100 per cent probability you will be taken. Salties are a serious predator." Salties are also smarter than your average bear. Croc researcher Dr Adam Britton says that while crocodilian brains are much smaller than those of mammals (as low as 0.05 per cent of body weight in the saltwater crocodile), they are capable of learning difficult tasks with little conditioning. He suggests that saltwater crocodiles learn faster than lab rats and can track the migratory routes of prey as seasons change. Stay away from attack zones: Mangrove swamps, waterways and riverbanks are all favourites.

If your adventures necessarily take you to such places, he suggests remaining in something safe like your 4WD or a sturdy boat. He adds a warning: "Don't let alcohol dampen the resolve to not go swimming in areas where there are salties, especially at night." DISTRIBUTION: Found in coastal-river systems, coastal areas, some offshore islands and in some cases hundreds of kilometres from salt water. Protected since 1974, numbers have recovered almost back to pre-colonial populations. HOW AND WHERE IT'LL STRIKE: If you enter their domain without regard, extremely high. If it's at night and you're drunk, pretty much a certainty you'll be doing the death roll mambo with one. NUMBER OF DEATHS: 1-2 known deaths per year, usually highly publicised due to their viciousness and aggression. 4-10 non-fatal attacks per year. DID YOU KNOW? The longest croc ever measured and verified was 6.4m (21ft). It could have weighed more than 1000kg. In Australia, there are unverified reports of crocs up to 8m.

The Most Poisonous Snake Located in Australia | Animals - mom.me Wildlife and Exotic Animals The Most Poisonous Snake Located in Australia The most poisonous snake in Australia, the inland taipan's venom could kill a man in as quick as 45 minutes. John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images Given that 21 of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world live in Australia, it should come as no surprise that the most poisonous snake in Australia is also the most poisonous snake in the world. The inland taipan, commonly known as the “fierce snake,” has venom so powerful a single bite could kill 100 grown men. Despite its deadly venom, no human deaths from an inland taipan bite have been reported as of early 2013. Inland Taipan Venom An inland taipan snake’s venom contains a powerful neurotoxin that immobilizes prey by blocking the signals its nerves send to its muscles. This neurotoxin is combined with a myotoxin that eats away at muscle tissue, and a procoagulant that keeps blood from clotting and increases the rate at which the toxins are absorbed by the body.

Most venomous snakes bite and then release their prey, waiting for the venom to kill the animal before they consume it. The inland taipan’s venom acts so quickly, however, that it never has to release its prey and can start consuming an animal immediately after the venomous bite is delivered. Physical Description The fierce snake grows to 6 or 7 feet in length. Their scales range from yellowish-brown to dark brown in color, and their heads and necks are usually a darker shade than the rest of their bodies. They change color seasonally, displaying a darker coloration in winter. This adaptation is believed to enable the cold-blooded creatures to absorb more heat in colder months. The inland taipan’s scales often have a darker edge, giving the snake’s skin a herringbone pattern. Location and Habitat The inland taipan lives in remote, sparsely populated areas of southwestern Queensland and northeastern South Australia. There the fierce snake eats long-haired rats. They shelter in deep cracks in the dry soil, escaping heat and predators in a desolate region with sparse vegetation. The inhospitable climate ensures few people ever encounter the inland taipan.

Behavior Fierce snakes spend the morning hunting prey, retiring in the afternoon to rest in the shade. Herpetologists assume the inland taipan mates in late winter, and the female lays a clutch of between 11 and 20 eggs in a deep soil crevice or the abandoned burrow of another animal. They are shy, non-aggressive snakes, and if threatened will hide rather than attack. This temperament provides another reason humans are seldom bitten by inland taipans.

Question: What sort of creature is a ‘taipan’?
Answer: snake