Central Ranges Taipans: One of Four World-Deadliest Australian Snakes

Summary: Central Ranges taipans are among Australia's world-deadliest, least-known snakes, despite possible discovery in 1896, since discoveries in 2006 and 2010.

Jan. 22, 2012, photos of male Central Ranges taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis) by Tom Charlton: Eco Animal Encounters @ecoanimalencounters, via Facebook Feb. 14, 2014

Central Ranges taipans await specimen accumulations beyond the three that attest to overlapping and unique aspects of the newly discovered species with coastal and inland taipans, world's foremost and third-most venomous snakes.

Central Ranges taipans bear their common name because of biogeographies in the same-named Australian bioregion and the Wik-Mungkan term taipan ("snake") in Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Their scientific name Oxyuranus temporalis (pointed-tail temple-scaled) confirms the Greek ὀξύς, oxús, "pointed" and οὐρά, ourá, "tail"; and Latin -ānus and ālis, "concerning" and tempora, "temple." Twenty-first-century taxonomies defer to scientific descriptions in 2007 by Stephen Donnellan, Paul Doughty, Mark Hutchinson and Brad Maryan of a live specimen from Sept. 22, 2006.

A George Gill Range specimen, misplaced after 1896, edges the Northern Territory in among Central Ranges taipan-friendly niches with 5.91- to 7.48-inch (150- to 190-millimeter) rainfall.

Many midbody scale rows, numerous ventral scales and undivided anal scales fit Central Ranges taipans in with fellow coastal (Oxyuranus scutellatus) and inland (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) taipans.

Central Ranges, coastal and inland taipans get round-pupiled eyes without subocular scales and paired subcaudal scales under pointed, whip-like tails whose tips never guard soft spines. Molecular genetic analyses of mitochondrial nucleotide sequences herald the three taipans' sister lineage despite Central Ranges' one, not two, temporal and six, not seven, lower-labial scales. Central Ranges taipans include one maxillary, not coastal taipans' one to three and inland taipans' three to five maxillaries, alongside two 0.12-inch- (3-millimeter-) long front fangs.

Central Ranges taipans juggle parallel-sided, rectangular heads with angular-brow ridges; big eyes; broad, rounded snouts; black-tipped, circular, large tongues; and eight upper-jaw and 10 lower-jaw teeth.

Central Ranges taipans know black irises; black-tongued, pink-lined mouths; black-olive-gray and white-brown upper-sides with scaleless, white skin; and white-yellow undersides with orange spots towards white-brown heads.

The first-collected, Walter James Range-area specimen lodged three undeveloped egg yolk-bearing right-ovary and four left-ovary follicles of respectively 0.11- and 0.12-inch (2.87- and 3.18-millimeter) maximum lengths. This first of five Western Australia-collected specimens manifests 21 midbody, 250 ventral and 60 paired subcaudal scales and 33.2-inch- (84.5-centimeter-) snout-vent and 4.92-inch- (12.5-centimeter-) tail lengths. The likewise smooth-shelled Western Australia quartet nets 45.28-inch (115-centimeter), 53.94-inch (137-centimeter) and 57.48-inch (146-centimeter) snout-vent lengths with 7.52-inch (19.1-centimeter), 8.27-inch (21-centimeter) and 7.99-inch (20.3-centimeter) tail lengths.

The last three of the four Western Australia specimens from Ilkurlka Roadhouse observe 12.34-ounce (350-gram) female-bodied, 13.19-ounce (374-gram) male-bodied and 17-ounce (482-gram) male-bodied sexually mature weights.

Two dead specimens from Ilkurlka Roadhouse-area biological surveys May 2010 present 0.49-inch- (12.5-millimeter-) deep heads, wider than two live specimens in Adelaide Zoo, Adelaide, South Australia. They queue up 1.13- to 1.21-inch- (28.7- to 30.6-millimeter-) long, 0.06- to 0.79-inch- (1.5- to 20.2-millimeter-) wide heads atop 240- to 252-ventral, 57- to 61-subcaudal-scaled bodies.

Fecal and stomach analyse reveal, as prey, hopping mice (Notomys) and plains rats (Pseudomys) and dunnart (Sminthopsis), false antechinus (Pseudantechinus), mulgara (Dasycercus) and ningaui (Ningaui) marsupials. Venom from the Adelaide Zoo duo for studies published July 2, 2014, suggests simple neurotoxins coastal and inland taipan-like in swift sureness and, with anti-venom, stoppability.

Gravel- and sand-rooted foxtails (Ptilotus), fuchsia bushes (Eremophila), marble gums (Eucalyptus), mulgas (Acacia), quandong sandalwoods (Santalum), silky oaks (Grevillea) and spinifex (Triodia) tempt Central Ranges taipans.

Pila Nguru (known in English as Spinifex people) from the Tjuntjuntjara Aboriginal community captured an adult female Central Ranges taipan during a biological study (conducted in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Conservation, Museum Victoria and West Australia Museum) in May 2010 at Western Australia’s Ilkulka Community, which comprises a small community and roadhouse, located in the Great Victoria Desert about 165 kilometers west of the South Australia border; Ilkulka Roadhouse, Monday, Jan. 2, 2006, 14:59: Gazjo at English Wikipedia, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Central Ranges taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis) housed at Adelaide Zoo, South Australia: Eco Animal Encounters @ecoanimalencounters via Facebook, Feb. 14, 2014, @ https://www.facebook.com/ecoanimalencounters/photos/a.181939035309065/260201307482837/

Pila Nguru (known in English as Spinifex people) from the Tjuntjuntjara Aboriginal community captured an adult female Central Ranges taipan during a biological study (conducted in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Conservation, Museum Victoria and West Australia Museum) in May 2010 at Western Australia’s Ilkulka Community, which comprises a small community and roadhouse, located in the Great Victoria Desert about 165 kilometers west of the South Australia border; Ilkulka Roadhouse, Monday, Jan. 2, 2006, 14:59: Gazjo at English Wikipedia, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilkurlka_Roadhouse_2006.jpg

For further information:

Barber, Carmel M.; Frank Madaras; Richard K. Turnbull; Terry Morley; Nathan Dunstan; Luke Allen; Tim Kuchel; Peter Mirtschin; and Wayne C. Hodgson. 2 July 2014. "Comparative Studies of the Venom of a New Taipan Species, Oxyuranus temporalis, with Other Members of Its Genus." Toxins, vol. 6, issue 7: 1979-1995. Doi:10.3390/toxins6071979
Available via MDPI @ https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/6/7
Available via ResearchGate @ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263708585_Comparative_Studies_of_the_Venom_of_a_New_Taipan_Species_Oxyuranus_temporalis_with_Other_Members_of_Its_Genus

Brennan, Karl E.C.; Terry Morley; Mark Hutchinson; and Steve Donnellan. 6 March 2012. "Redescription of the Western Desert Taipan, Oxyuranus Temporalis (Serpentes : Elapidae), with Notes on Its Distribution, Diet and Genetic Variation." Australian Journal of Zoology, vol. 59, issue 4: 227-235. Doi.org/10.1071/Z011062
Available via ResearchGate @ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263005424_Redescription_of_the_western_desert_taipan_Oxyuranus_temporalis_Serpentes_Elapidae_with_notes_on_its_distribution_diet_and_genetic_variation

Doughty, Paul; Brad Maryan; Stephen C. Donnellan; and Mark N. Hutchinson. 8 March 2007. "A New Species of Taipan (Elapidae: Oxyuranus) from Central Australia." Zootaxa, vol. 1422, no. 1: 45-58. Doi: 10.11646/zootaxa1422.1.3
Available via ResearchGate @ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253285357_A_new_species_of_taipan_Elapidae_Oxyuranus_from_central_Australia

Keogh, J. Scott. "Cobras, Kraits, Seasnakes, Death Adders, and Relatives (Elapidae)." In: Michael Hutchins, James B. Murphy and Neil Schlager, eds. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Second edition. Volume 7, Reptiles: 483-488. Farmington Hills MI: Gale Group, 2003.

Eco Animal Encounters @ecoanimalencounters. 14 February 2014. “Back in January 2012, I was given the chance to see and photograph the recently discovered Central ranges taipan, Oxyuranus temporalis, held in quarantine at Adelaide Zoo, South Australia. This species was first described back in 2007, and and since then, only a handful have been found. The pair held in Adelaide -- the only animals of this species in captivity -- were collected back in October 2010 during a joint survey between the WA museum, Museum Victoria and Adelaide Zoo. It's surprising to think that a member of such of high-profile genus of venomous snake could remain hidden in the Australian outback for so long!” Facebook.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/ecoanimalencounters/photos/a.181939035309065/260201307482837/

Eco Animal Encounters @ecoanimalencounters. 21 September 2013. “Last year, I was lucky enough to be shown the only pair of the central ranges taipan, Oxyuranus temporalis, in captivity -- currently housed off-show in quarantine at Adelaide Zoo. This species was only described in 2007, and since then only a handful have been found, including the pair housed here. Unfortunately, the situation didn't allow for a decent photography session with this species, but never the less, a great experience! This is the male.” Facebook.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/ecoanimalencounters/photos/a.181939035309065/211384425697859/

Marriner, Derdriu. 25 July 2014. "Coastal Taipan Natural History Illustrations and Photographs." Earth and Space News. Friday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/07/coastal-taipan-natural-history.html

Marriner, Derdriu. 26 July 2014. "Australian Inland Taipans: Reclusive But Deadliest of All World Snakes." Earth and Space News. Saturday.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/07/australian-inland-taipans-reclusive-but.html

Shea, G.M. 2007. "A Possible Second Record of the Central Ranges Taipan Oxyuranus Temporalis (Elapidae)." Herpetofauna 37(2): 95-97.

Uetz, Peter. "Oxyuranus temporalis Doughty, Maryan, Donnellan & Hutchinson, 2007." The Reptile Database.
Available @ http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Oxyuranus&species=microlepidotus