Genus Oxyuranus

This is a brief overview of information on Australian taipan snakes, based on information on the main Clinical Toxinology Resources Website. For more detail and up-to-date information on taipan snakes, covered at species level, visit www.toxinology.com and search for "snakebite" in the First Aid menu, or search for specific information on taipan snakes in the Snakes - Search menu, using either "taipan" in the common name field or select "Oxyuranus" in the Genus field. The information on this page will not be regularly updated, because regular updated information can be obtained from the main toxinology website, listed above.

Taxonomy of taipan snakes

Species listing for taipan snakes:

Common taipan, Oxyuranus scutellatus

Inland taipan, Oxyuranus microlepidotus

Papuan taipan, New Guinea taipan, Oxyuranus scutellatus canni

For more detailed information on taipan snakes, including distribution maps and photos, use the Clinical Toxinology Resources Website at www.toxinology.com and search for specific information on taipan snakes in the Snakes - Search menu, using either "taipan" in the common name field or select "Oxyuranus" in the Genus field.

Distribution of taipan snakes

Taipans are highly venomous. The common taipan is found in northern Australia and eastern coastal areas as far south as northern New South Wales. The inland taipan is found in parts of central Australia, not including the Alice Springs and Uluru area. The Papuan taipan is restricted to southern parts of New Guinea.

Venom of taipan snakes

As with other venomous snakes causing snakebite in humans, taipan snakes have complex venoms with many components. Only the most important clinically are mentioned here.

Overall taipan snake venom is one of the most potent of all known snake venoms. Inland taipan venom is the most potent of all snake venoms.

Taipan snake venom contains potent presynaptic neurotoxins (toxins in venom that cause paralysis or muscle weakness). Also present are postsynaptic neurotoxins, which are less potent but more rapid acting than the presynaptic neurotoxins.

Taipan snake venom also contains potent procoagulants (toxins in venom that interfere with blood clotting, causing consumption of the clotting protein, fibrinogen; this causes defibrination, with non-clottable blood, putting victims at risk of major bleeding). Taipan snake procoagulants are amongst the most powerful snake venom procoagulants known.

No renal (kidney) toxins have so far been isolated from taipan snake venoms, but renal failure (kidney failure) is a possible though uncommon effect of taipan snake snakebites in humans, in cases where there is significant envenoming (envenomation).

Taipan snake venom does contain myotoxins that cause myolysis (rhabdomyolysis, muscle damage), but this effect is not common and generally not very severe.

Taipan snake venom causes generally minor local effects at the snakebite site, such as mild swelling, bruising and pain and does not contain necrotoxins.

For more up-to-date information on taipan snakes use the Clinical Toxinology Resources Website at www.toxinology.com and search for specific information on taipan snakes in the Snakes - Search menu, using either "taipan" in the common name field or select "Oxyuranus" in the Genus field.

Clinical effects of taipan snake bites

Taipan snakes have highly potent venom and can cause severe envenoming (envenomation) of humans. They are an uncommon cause of snakebites and occasional snakebite deaths in Australia at present, but represent a significant portion of major snakebites in coastal northern Queensland. Envenoming (envenomation) can cause defibrination coagulopathy, renal (kidney) damage or renal failure (kidney failure). They can cause neurotoxic paralysis (muscle weakness, respiratory failure), and this is common, and while clinical features of flaccid paralysis usually take several hours to become apparent, occasionally major paralysis develops within just a few hours of the bite. Bites can also cause myolysis (rhabdomyolysis, muscle damage), but this is uncommon and not usually severe.

For more and up-to-date information on taipan snake bite use the Clinical Toxinology Resources Website at www.toxinology.com and search for specific information on taipan snakes in the Snakes - Search menu, using either "taipan" in the common name field or select "Oxyuranus" in the Genus field.

First aid treatment

First aid for taipan snake bite is the same as for other snakebites and is based on immobilising the venom at the bite site until medical treatment can be obtained. This snakebite first aid is commonly known as the pressure immobilisation bandage technique for snakebite and other forms of envenoming (envenomation).

For details of the method, use the Clinical Toxinology Resources Website at www.toxinology.com and search for "snakebite" in the First Aid menu, or search for specific information on taipan snakes in the Snakes - Search menu, using either "taipan" in the common name field or select "Oxyuranus" in the Genus field.

Medical treatment of taipan snake bite

About 90% of taipan snake bites result in significant envenoming, requiring antivenom therapy, and envenoming is often severe and potentially lethal. There are occasional deaths from taipan snake bite. It is therefore essential all cases be managed as an emergency, requiring rapid application of first aid and urgent medical assessment. For those cases with systemic envenoming, which will be nearly all cases, this may develop in less than 15 minutes after the bite, and antivenom therapy is the principle treatment. In most such cases 3-4+ vials of CSL Taipan Snake Antivenom will be required intravenously to reverse the severe coagulopathy (bleeding disorder) and prevent progression of paralysis and muscle damage.

For further overview information, use the Clinical Toxinology Resources Website at www.toxinology.com and search for specific information on taipan snakes in the Snakes - Search menu, using either "taipan" in the common name field or select "Oxyuranus" in the genus field. Treatment information and available antivenoms will be listed near the bottom of the page. A general overview of snakebite treatment is also available.

For detailed information on medical treatment on the Clinical Toxinology Resources Website you need to access the subscriber-only area, but substantial information, including appropriate antivenoms and how to use them, (not as detailed as for subscribers) is also available in the online version of the CSL Antivenom Handbook, also available on this site.