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What the sources say

Inland TaipanOxyuranus microlepidotus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Inland Taipan profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 46 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Australian Museum

Inland Taipan, Oxyuranus microlepidotus. Australian Museum.

The page saysRated the most toxic venom of any snake in lab tests on mice
The source saysThe venom of the Inland Taipan is extremely potent and is rated as the most toxic of all snake venoms in LD50 tests on mice.
The page sayscarried by a shy snake whose handful of known bite victims all survived
The source saysthis species is actually quite shy ... To date only a handful of people have ever been bitten by this species, and all have survived
The page saysThe whole venom is rated the most toxic of any snake's in LD50 tests on mice
The source saysThe venom of the Inland Taipan is extremely potent and is rated as the most toxic of all snake venoms in LD50 tests on mice.
The page saysis rated the most toxic of any snake's in LD50 tests on mice
The source saysThe venom of the Inland Taipan is extremely potent and is rated as the most toxic of all snake venoms in LD50 tests on mice.
The page saysInland taipans average around 2 metres in total length
The source saysAverage size 2m (total length).
The page saysthe largest on record reached 250 centimetres
The source saysThe largest total length recorded is 250cm.
The page saysThe species lives on the deep cracking-clay floodplains of the Channel Country, in south-west Queensland and north-east South Australia, and ventures onto nearby stony gibber plains and dunes where there is cover.
The source saysInland Taipans are associated with the deep cracking-clays and cracking-loams of the floodplains, however they also venture onto nearby gibber plains, dunes and rocky outcrops if cover is available. ... The species occurs in the Channel country of south-western Queensland and north-eastern South Australia.Note: 'stony' glosses 'gibber' (the Australian word for a stone-covered plain) for the audience.
The page saysIt shelters in soil cracks, holes and mammal burrows.
The source saysThe snakes shelter in soil cracks and crevices, and in holes and mammal burrows.
The page saysDeep cracking-clay floodplains, gibber plains and dunes of the Channel Country, spanning south-west Queensland and north-east South Australia
The source saysInland Taipans are associated with the deep cracking-clays and cracking-loams of the floodplains, however they also venture onto nearby gibber plains, dunes ... The species occurs in the Channel country of south-western Queensland and north-eastern South Australia.
The page saysIn the wild the inland taipan appears to feed entirely on small to medium-sized mammals, particularly the long-haired rat, along with house mice
The source saysIn the wild Inland Taipan appear to feed entirely on small to medium-sized mammals, particularly the Long-haired Rat Rattus villosisimus, as well as the introduced House Mouse Mus musculus and various small dasyurids.
The page saysLong-haired rats, house mice, and small dasyurid marsupials such as the kultarr
The source saysparticularly the Long-haired Rat Rattus villosisimus, as well as the introduced House Mouse Mus musculus and various small dasyurids
The page saysIt usually corners prey in a burrow or soil crack before biting several times in quick succession; the venom acts so rapidly that the snake can afford to hold on instead of releasing its prey and waiting for it to die
The source saysPrey is usually cornered in a burrow or soil crack before being bitten several times in quick succession. The venom acts so rapidly that the snake can afford to hold on to its prey instead of releasing (to avoid injury) and waiting for it to die.
The page saysa "spreading factor" enzyme speeds up how fast the venom is absorbed
The source saysthe venom contains a ‘spreading factor’ (hyaluronidase enzyme) that increases the rate of absorption.
The page saysyet no one it is known to have bitten has died
The source saysTo date only a handful of people have ever been bitten by this species, and all have survivedNote: the museum page is undated (footer copyright 2026, newest reference 2008); Billabong Sanctuary, also undated, says the same: 'There are actually NO recorded human fatalities from the bite of an inland taipan!'
The page saysit raises the front of its body into a low S-shaped curve as a warning display, and will strike if the warning is ignored
The source saysit makes a threat display by raising its forebody in a tight low S-shaped curve with its head facing the offender. Should the offender choose to ignore the warning the Inland Taipan will strike, making a single bite or several quick bites.
The page saysDespite that venom, the inland taipan is shy.
The source saysthis shy serpent is relatively placid and rarely encountered in its remote, semi-arid homeland
The page saysmany reptile keepers regard it as a placid snake to handle
The source saysmany reptile keepers regard it as a placid snake to handle
The page saysIts colour darkens in winter and fades in summer
The source saysColour changes seasonally, with individuals becoming darker in winter and fading in summer.
The page sayspresumably helping it warm up quickly in the cold and avoid overheating in the heat
The source saysThe seasonal change in body colouration presumably helps the Inland Taipan to warm up quickly during the cooler months (dark colour) and avoid overheating in the warmer months (pale colour).Note: the source's 'presumably' is kept.
The page saysIn LD50 tests on mice, a standard lab measure of a venom's lethal dose, yes: the Australian Museum says it is rated the most toxic of all snake venoms.
The source saysThe venom of the Inland Taipan is extremely potent and is rated as the most toxic of all snake venoms in LD50 tests on mice.
The page saysThe same museum calls the inland taipan far from the most dangerous snake, and a shy, relatively placid one that people rarely meet.
The source saysOften cited as the world’s most venomous snake, the Inland Taipan is far from the most dangerous. Unlike its congener, the common and fiery-tempered Coastal Taipan, this shy serpent is relatively placid and rarely encountered in its remote, semi-arid homeland.
The page saysNot on record. The Australian Museum says only a handful of people have ever been bitten by this species, and every one of them survived.
The source saysTo date only a handful of people have ever been bitten by this species, and all have survived
The page saysThe Australian Museum records its colour changing with the seasons: individuals become darker in winter and fade in summer.
The source saysColour changes seasonally, with individuals becoming darker in winter and fading in summer.
The page saysThe museum's explanation comes with a "presumably": the dark colour helps the snake warm up quickly in the cooler months, and the pale colour helps it avoid overheating in the warmer ones.
The source saysThe seasonal change in body colouration presumably helps the Inland Taipan to warm up quickly during the cooler months (dark colour) and avoid overheating in the warmer months (pale colour).
The page saysTop of the Toxicity Tests
The source saysThe venom of the Inland Taipan is extremely potent and is rated as the most toxic of all snake venoms in LD50 tests on mice.
The page saysCornering Rats in Their Burrows
The source saysparticularly the Long-haired Rat Rattus villosisimus ... Prey is usually cornered in a burrow or soil crack
The page saysLife in the Channel Country
The source saysThe species occurs in the Channel country of south-western Queensland and north-eastern South Australia.
The page saysRarely Seen, Rarely Aggressive
The source saysthis shy serpent is relatively placid and rarely encountered in its remote, semi-arid homeland
The page saysraises the front of its body into a low S-shaped curve as a warning display, and will strike if the warning is ignored
The source saysit makes a threat display by raising its forebody in a tight low S-shaped curve with its head facing the offender. Should the offender choose to ignore the warning the Inland Taipan will strike, making a single bite or several quick bites.Note: vibe.reason (women artists)

Source
02

Sydney Zoo

Inland Taipan. Sydney Zoo.

The page saysSydney Zoo gives their weight as 1.5 to 3 kilograms and their lifespan as 12 to 20 years
The source saysWEIGHT 1.5 - 3kg ... LIFESPAN 12 - 20 yearsNote: the zoo does not say whether the lifespan is wild or captive, so none is claimed.
The page saysweightKg: 1.5
The source saysWEIGHT 1.5 - 3kgNote: bottom of the range; Light class across the whole range

Source
03

Billabong Sanctuary

Inland Taipan. Billabong Sanctuary.

The page saysLD50 is the standard lab measure of how little venom it takes to kill half a group of test mice: the smaller the number, the more toxic the venom.
The source saysThe accepted standard for comparing the toxicity of snake venoms was devised in the 1970s by the Commonwealth Serum Laboratory (CSL) in Melbourne. Tests were done by injecting live mice and measuring the amount of venom required to kill 50% of test animals, yielding a number called LD50 (or Lethal Dose 50): the smaller the number, the more toxic the venom.
The page saysBillabong Sanctuary, a Queensland wildlife park, gives the inland taipan's LD50 as 0.025 milligrams per kilogram
The source saysThe LD50 of the Inland Taipan is 0.025mg/kg.Note: attributed to the park because no institution source in the cache states the figure; the park's page names its Reptiles of North Queensland exhibit.
The page saysone at Australia Zoo lived past 20
The source saysAn inland taipan at Australia Zoo lived to be over 20 years old!
The page sayssmall carnivorous marsupials such as the kultarr
The source saysAlternate prey includes small to medium-sized mammals such as the kultarr (a small carnivorous marsupial) and the introduced house mouse.
The page saysIn years when plague rats are plentiful the snakes grow quite fat; when the rats are scarce, they lose weight or switch to other prey.
The source saysthe inland taipan adapts to these variations by becoming quite fat during years of abundance and losing weight or changing to different prey animals in years when plague rats are scarce

Source
04

Martin, Stella (ed.) 2004

Martin, Stella (ed.) (2004). Very venomous but ... not necessarily deadly (Tropical Topics, No. 80). Queensland Environmental Protection Agency.

The page saysIts bite carries enough venom, by one calculation, to kill more than 100 average-sized men
The source saysIt has been calculated that there is enough venom in just one bite of an inland taipan to kill more than 100 men of average size.
The page saysA 2004 Queensland government newsletter put the inland taipan's venom at almost four times as toxic as the coastal taipan's, yet placed the coastal taipan at the top of Australia's most dangerous snakes, because the inland taipan lives in a sparsely populated area, is shy and lacks long fangs.
The source saysAlthough the venom of the inland taipan is almost four times as toxic as that of its cousin, the coastal taipan, when all other factors are taken into account it is the coastal taipan which tops the list of Australia’s most dangerous snakes. That is because the inland taipan lives in a sparsely populated area, is shy and does not have long fangs or deliver a large amount of venom.Note: 2004 is the reference's publication year (Tropical Topics No. 80, Queensland EPA); the ranking is attributed and dated rather than stated as current.
The page saysdangerLevel: Deadly
The source saysIt has been calculated that there is enough venom in just one bite of an inland taipan to kill more than 100 men of average size.Note: capability tier: no known bite has been fatal, but one bite could kill

Source
05

Hodgson, Dal Belo & Rowan 2007

Hodgson, Dal Belo & Rowan (2007). The neuromuscular activity of paradoxin: A presynaptic neurotoxin from the venom of the inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus). Neuropharmacology.

The page saysParadoxin, a presynaptic neurotoxin that stops nerve endings releasing the signal that makes muscles contract
The source saysparadoxin (PDX), a presynaptic neurotoxin from the venom ... prior to blocking evoked release of acetylcholineNote: 'the signal that makes muscles contract' explains acetylcholine for the audience; the abstract's PDX abolished indirect (nerve-evoked) twitches.
The page saysOne of its toxins is paradoxin, a presynaptic neurotoxin, meaning it acts on the nerve ending: it stops the nerve releasing the chemical signal that makes a muscle contract.
The source saysparadoxin (PDX), a presynaptic neurotoxin from the venom ... prior to blocking evoked release of acetylcholineNote: 'the chemical signal that makes a muscle contract' explains acetylcholine for the audience.
The page saysResearchers who tested it in 2007 wrote that it appears to be one of the most potent toxins of its kind yet discovered, if not the most potent
The source saysPDX exhibits all the pharmacology associated with beta-neurotoxins, and appears to be one of the most potent, if not the most potent beta-neurotoxin yet discovered.Note: 'toxins of its kind' paraphrases 'beta-neurotoxin'; the source's hedge ('appears') is kept, and 2007 is the paper's publication year, dating 'yet discovered'.

Source
06

Crachi, Hammer & Hodgson 1999

Crachi, Hammer & Hodgson (1999). The effects of antivenom on the in vitro neurotoxicity of venoms from the taipans Oxyuranus scutellatus, Oxyuranus microlepidotus and Oxyuranus scutellatus canni. Toxicon.

The page saysIn lab tests on chick muscle, inland taipan venom stopped nerve-driven twitches faster than coastal or Papuan taipan venom, mainly by blocking the muscle's own receptors for the nerve's signal.
The source saysVenom (10 microg/ml) from all three snakes abolished nerve-mediated twitches of the chick biventer cervicis muscle preparation with the following rank order of potency (based on the time taken to inhibit 90% of the twitch response; t90): O. microlepidotus (27+/-3 min) > O. scutellatus (42+/-3 min) = O. S. canni (48+/-5 min). This inhibitory effect of all three venoms was primarily postsynaptic in origin as evidenced by the inhibition of responses to exogenous acetylcholine (ACh; 1 mM) and carbachol (CCh; 20 microM)Note: 'faster' paraphrases a shorter t90 (time to 90% inhibition); a smaller t90 is a faster-acting venom in this assay. 'mainly by blocking the muscle's own receptors' is 'primarily postsynaptic in origin', shown by blocked responses to applied acetylcholine.
The page saysIn laboratory nerve-muscle tests, yes. In a 1999 study on chick muscle, inland taipan venom took 27 minutes to cut nerve-driven twitches by 90%, against 42 minutes for coastal taipan venom and 48 for Papuan taipan venom.
The source saysVenom (10 microg/ml) from all three snakes abolished nerve-mediated twitches of the chick biventer cervicis muscle preparation with the following rank order of potency (based on the time taken to inhibit 90% of the twitch response; t90): O. microlepidotus (27+/-3 min) > O. scutellatus (42+/-3 min) = O. S. canni (48+/-5 min).Note: 1999 is the reference's publication year; 'cut nerve-driven twitches by 90%' is t90, 'the time taken to inhibit 90% of the twitch response'.

Source
07

Chester & Crawford 1982

Chester & Crawford (1982). In vitro coagulant properties of venoms from Australian snakes. Toxicon.

The page saysIn test tubes the venom also activates prothrombin, a blood-clotting protein, without the helper molecules some other Australian snake venoms need
The source saysVenoms of Notechis scutatus, Tropidechis carinatus and Pseudechis porphyriacus require phospholipid, calcium and factor V to maximally activate normal prothrombin. Venoms of Pseudonaja textilis and Oxyuranus microlepidotus activate both normal prothrombin and the decarboxy form and do not require co-factors.Note: 'in test tubes' carries the paper's in vitro scope; 'helper molecules' glosses 'co-factors'.

Source
08

Wilson et al. 2018

Wilson et al. (2018). Oxyuranus microlepidotus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T42493150A42493160.

The page saysLeast Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.