It’s no secret that I think reptiles are awesome. The more toxic their venom, the more intrigued I am.
At the top of that list is the inland taipan. It has the most toxic venom of any snake on the planet.
Just because it’s the most toxic however, doesn’t mean it is the fastest acting.
How fast can an inland taipan kill you? There are no reported deaths caused by a confirmed inland taipan bite. Severe symptoms can begin in 30 minutes or less however, and medical scientists have concluded that death can occur in as few as 30-45 minutes. One bite from an inland taipan contains enough venom to kill 100 grown men.
Let’s break this down further and see what this all means.
How Inland Taipan Venom Works
The venom of the inland taipan is rather unique.
Most snakes hunt a wide variety of prey including birds, lizards and even other snakes. This snake hunts mammals almost exclusively.
Due to this, their venom is designed to disable and kill mammals specifically…including humans.
The venom is clear like water, and contains a wide variety of toxins that attack you from multiple angles. One tiny drop in a vial of blood will turn all the blood into a thick blob of jelly.
Here is a list of some of the toxins you’ll find in the inland taipan venom, and what those toxins can do.
Inland taipan venom toxins
- Hyaluronidase enzyme – This enzyme increases the rate at which your body absorbs the venom, causing it to spread faster. That’s like venom 2.0!
- Postsynaptic neurotoxins – Next, your body is attacked with neurotoxins which block the nerves from sending or receiving signals. First there are what’s called “postsynaptic” neurotoxins such as oxylepitoxin-1. This blocks parts of your body, such as your muscles, from receiving nerve signals. It’s like calling for help, but the phones for emergency dispatch aren’t working. These are the fastest acting neurotoxins found in inland taipan venom.
- Presynaptic neurotoxins – Next would be what are called “presynaptic” neurotoxins, which block the nerves from sending signals out to your body. So now, not only are the phones for emergency dispatch not working, YOUR phone isn’t working either! Communication is broken on both ends! Inland taipan venom contains a presynaptic neurotoxin known as paradoxin, which is considered the most powerful and potent beta-neurotoxin known to science.
- Hemotoxins – Along with the neurotoxins are some hemotoxins which mess with your blood. As I said before, one drop of this venom will cause a vial of blood to coagulate into a jellylike blob. The blood turning into that blob isn’t the problem though. What’s actually happening is the venom is stealing the properties of your blood that allows it to clot. The spot where you were bitten will bleed continuously, but that’s the least of your concerns. Internal hemorrhaging in places like your brain can be fatal, and that’s the real risk.
- Myotoxins – You also have to worry about myotoxins. These are chains of amino acids which cause muscle necrosis. This basically means the cells in your muscles are damaged resulting in paralysis. These toxins act very quickly and are intended to stop prey from escaping.
As you can see, the venom of the inland taipan is specifically designed to act fast to paralyze and kill its prey.
How Much Venom Does An Inland Taipan Inject In A Single Bite?
The potency of snake venom is only one part of the equation. The amount of venom they inject also poses a threat.
How much venom does an inland taipan bite contain? A single bite from an inland taipan contains an average of 40-45mg of venom. It takes less than half of a milligram of venom to kill a full grown adult. It’s also important to note that over 80% of bites from this snake are venomous. The inland taipan rarely gives a dry bite.
Additionally, a bite which results in envenomation that is left untreated is believed to have a mortality rate of over 90%.
Bottom line, a bite from an inland taipan should receive immediate medical attention or else you are likely to die quickly.
Can You Survive An Inland Taipan Bite?
I’ve shown how lethal the venom is, and how fast it acts. A bite from this snake sounds like a death sentence!
Can you survive an inland taipan bite? Yes, you can survive a bite from an inland taipan, and most people do. Currently there are no reported fatalities caused by an inland taipan bite. The antivenom used for inland taipan bites is specifically made for taipans, and is extremely effective.
It is more effective against the coastal taipan, but works for the inland as well.
There are also broad spectrum antivenoms which are used in Australia for unidentified snake bites. These are even less effective, but can still work to save a victims life.
Recovery time from an inland taipan bite can take several weeks even with the best treatment and antivenom available.
You should know that there are very few actual reported bites from this snake.
The remoteness of this snake combined with its shy and reclusive nature means there is little human contact.
Additionally, this snake is not typically overly nervous or aggressive, and will usually not bite unless severely provoked.
The majority of those are from herpetologists and snake catchers who were handling the snake at the time.
Is Inland Taipan Venom The Fastest Acting?
No it isn’t.
Both the black mamba and some cobras have been known to kill people in under 30 minutes.
Snake bites aren’t like what you see in the movies.
There are no “three step” snakes that will kill you before you’ve taken three steps after being bitten.
That story actually came from the Vietnam war, where soldiers nicknamed the many banded krait as the two step snake due to its highly venomous bite.
Snake venom typically takes hours to work as it courses its way through your body. Even snakes like the black mamba, cobra and inland taipan usually take hours to kill you.
Saying that these snakes can kill you in as little as 30 minutes only means that it has happened before, and the possibility exists. It is not the average time.
Summary
There is no doubt the inland taipan is the number one most venomous snake in the world. It is three times more venomous than the second most toxic snake on the LD50 SC list, the Dubois’ sea snake.
It has a lethal cocktail of toxins designed to paralyze, and ultimately kill you quickly and efficiently.
Although it has the ability to kill you quickly, it rarely does. A bite from this snake should never be taken lightly though, and medical help should be received as fast as possible.
If you would like to learn more about this snake as well as other snakes from Australia, check out our article titles What Is Australia’s Deadliest Snake.