第 0152 號，共 1 402 號

Inland taipan

Oxyuranus microlepidotus

名字的由來： The scientific name microlepidotus is Latin for "small-scaled", referring to its small body scales, which gave it the common name small-scaled snake.1

致命地球上最致命的動物之一。如果牠咬了你，要立刻求救。快速救援和抗毒血清能救活大多數人。立刻打緊急電話。

澳洲的蛇

咬吃：肉

對人的危險: 致命世界上最危險的動物之一。

The inland taipan is a snake of the dry interior of Australia. Its venom is considered the most toxic of any snake in the world, though the snake is usually shy and rarely meets people. It lives on remote, hot clay plains, which is why bites are very rare.1

分布在

Semiarid central-eastern Australia, near the border of Queensland and South Australia, with an isolated population near Coober Pedy1

澳洲與大洋洲

首頁

It lives on cracking-clay plains in semiarid country and in remote areas, such as the Channel Country of south-western Queensland and the Tirari and Sturt Stony deserts of South Australia. It inhabits remote areas, so it rarely comes into contact with people.1

長度

2,5 m (8,2 ft)1

最高速度

大約 8,3 km/h（5,2 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It feeds almost exclusively on small to medium-sized mammals, especially rodents such as the long-haired rat, plains rat and house mouse, and some dasyurid marsupials. It attacks quickly at close range, biting up to eight times in one attack and holding its prey with its body.1

Inland taipan 的照片 — Inland taipan。照片：XLerate。 CC BY-SA 4.0, iNaturalist.

怎麼認出牠

Typically dark tan overall, ranging from rich dark brown to brownish light green depending on the season.1
Many scales have broad blackish edges, forming broken chevron-like markings that slope backwards and downwards on the body.1
The head, snout and neck are darker than the body: glossy black in winter and dark brown in summer.1
Scales are smooth, without keels, arranged in 23 rows at midbody.1
Adults average about 180 cm in total length, and larger individuals can reach 250 cm.1

常被誤認為： The coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) is a close relative. The inland taipan's fangs are somewhat shorter, at about 3.5 to 6.2 mm. The coastal taipan lives closer to populated coastal regions and is more often met by people.1

毒液力量

咬

咬的時候，毒液會從毒牙或牙齒出來。

牠的毒液有什麼作用？

The venom is extremely toxic and is particularly adapted to killing warm-blooded animals. Tests in laboratory mice and on human heart cell cultures show it is more toxic than the venom of any tested sea snake. A single bite is estimated to contain enough venom to kill more than 100 adult humans. In prey, the venom causes almost immediate incapacitation.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 致命世界上最危險的動物之一。

Its venom is among the most potent of any snake, but it is usually shy, reclusive and placid, and it rarely comes into contact with people because it lives in remote areas. The coastal taipan is considered the more dangerous species in practice because of its behaviour around people and its closer proximity to populated coastal regions.1

牠害怕時會做什麼？

It is usually shy and reclusive, with a generally placid disposition.1

如果牠咬人

加壓固定法：用彈性繃帶緊緊包住咬傷處，再往上包住整條手臂或腿，用夾板固定，並讓傷者完全不動，直到救援抵達。
不要清洗咬傷處：醫院可以檢驗留在皮膚上的毒液，選出正確的抗毒血清。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠咬了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 2,5 隻狗從鼻子接到尾巴一樣長跟 14 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長可以在 43 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類需要 9.6 秒）

Inland taipan 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一個正在走路的人 大約 5 km/h (3,1 mph)

Inland taipan 大約 8,3 km/h (5,2 mph)

騎腳踏車的小朋友 大約 12 km/h (7,5 mph)

值得知道

小知識

A single bite is estimated to contain enough venom to kill more than 100 adult humans.1

Based on lab tests in mice, it is widely regarded as the most venomous snake in the world.1

It was thought to be lost to science for almost 90 years, until it was rediscovered in 1972.1

Its darkness changes with the seasons: it is darker in winter, which helps it absorb heat, and paler in summer.1

Its name "fierce" refers to the strength of its venom, not to its temperament.1

In captivity it usually lives 10 to 15 years, and one at Australia Zoo reportedly lived for more than 20 years.1

破解迷思

迷思： The "fierce" in its name means it is an aggressive snake.

真相： The word "fierce" refers to how strong its venom is. The snake is usually shy and placid.1

給毒液專家

學名: Oxyuranus microlepidotus
類群: 澳洲的蛇
家人: Elapidae2
排序: Squamata
各大洲: 澳洲與大洋洲
寶寶: It lays eggs, typically clutches of 10 to 24, usually in abandoned mammal burrows or deep rock crevices.1
牠在野外的狀況: Least concern (IUCN Red List, 2018). It is presumed extinct in New South Wales and regionally extinct in Victoria.1
對人的危險: 5 / 5: 致命3