Australia’s
Most Deadly!
The Coastal Taipan
(Oxyuranus scutellatus).
Michael Cermak examines an elapid
with a formidable reputation.
H
istorically, the Coastal Taipan (Oxyuranus
scutellatus) has been regarded as Australia’s
deadliest snake. The term ‘deadly’ is somewhat
ambiguous and is rarely used in herpetological literature
today. However, considering that prior to the develop-
ment of taipan antivenom in 1955, all victims of bites
died, the description is actually quite fitting. George
Rosendale, an Aboriginal man still living in north
Queensland, remained for many years the only person to
survive a taipan bite without the use of specific
antivenom.
1.
This record stood until my friend Shane Black took the
lead with not one but two taipan bites; one to his torso
and another one between his index and middle fingers. In
both cases, Shane did not require antivenom and, apart
from relatively mild ‘discomfort’ (according to him), he
soldiered on. Although both bites resulted in envenoma-
tion, it needs to be pointed out that Shane had previously
received many snake bites from different species of
elapids, and it’s reasonable to assume that he has built up
some resistance against snake venom, akin to
Australia’s ‘snake men’ of old. I witnessed the finger
bite, and it was a proper one, leaving some venom on the