Taipans are long, slender snakes with a whip-like tail. Knowledge of both the appearance and the behaviour of all snakes in a particular area not only helps deepen our understanding and appreciation of their remarkable adaptations, but may prevent unwelcome confrontations. Positive identification is made by counting rows of scales across the back in mid-body, and by comparison of the pattern of scales on the head-not usually practical in the bush! In general, you can’t positively identify most Australian snakes just by their colour.
An etymology of the scientific names of Victorian snakes. Our thanks to David Meagher, School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, for clarifying the meaning of this scientific name. Thus Oxyuranus scutellatus means ‘flat-scaled snake with a needle-like palatine process’. The species name scutellatus means ‘shaped like a small flat dish’, a reference to the smooth, flat scales. This skeletal feature differentiates the taipan from all other elapids.
The genus name is from Greek oxys (sharp, needle-like) and ouranos (an arch, specifically the arch of the heavens), and refers to the needle-like anterior process on the arch of the palate. Members of this family are all venomous, with relatively short fixed fangs at the front of the jaw. Taipans belong to the Elapidae family of snakes. The Coastal Taipan is also called the Eastern Taipan. ‘Taipan’ is the name given to these snakes by Aboriginal people of Cape York Peninsula.