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The most venomous land snake on earth…
The Inland Taipan
Olivier DUBOIS
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Commonly called :The Inland Taipanthe Small Scaled SnakeFierce Snake
Name.
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Class: ReptiliaSuborder: SerpentesFamily: ElapidaeSpecies: Oxyuranus microlepidotus
Scientific classification.
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Habitation.
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Colour :Depanding on seasons,from a rich, dark hue to a brownish olive-
green.The darker colour allows the snake to heat itself while only
exposing a smaller portion of the body
Appearance.
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Lenght : Average 1.8 m Up to 2.5 m
Eyes : brown iris coloured rim around the pupil
Appearance.
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Lives in burrows.
Eats rodents (mice, rats), birds.
Habitation & diet.
Killing method: One single accurate
bite, waiting for the prey
to die, then returning to
safely consume its meal
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Look at it closer…
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Do you fear it ?
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You should because…
…its venom is 200-400 times more toxic than most rattlesnakes and 50 times as toxic as a cobra
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LD50 (lethal dose 50%) test :Dosing animals with a substance By mouth, by injection or inhalationTest is done when half of the animals in the
group have died
Indicates the standard toxicity value for a chemical
Venom.
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Venom yield for one bite : 44.0-110.0 mgSub-cutaneous LD50 0.025 mg/kg
One bite could cause the death of about 100 human beings.
Venom.
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Risks for one bite.
neurotoxic paralysis
coagulopathy
headache
nausea
abdominal pain
loss of consciousness
convulsions
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Risks for one bite.
neurotoxic paralysis
coagulopathy
acute renal failure
headache
nausea
abdominal pain
loss of consciousness
convulsions
Myotoxicity
Cardiotoxicity
Anticoagulant Effects
Hemolytic Activity
Internal Hemorrhage
Edema Inducing Activity
Organ or Tissue Damage
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Risks for one bite.
neurotoxic paralysis
coagulopathy
acute renal failure
headache
nausea
abdominal pain
loss of consciousness
convulsions
Myotoxicity
Cardiotoxicity
Anticoagulant Effects
Hemolytic Activity
Internal Hemorrhage
Edema Inducing Activity
Organ or Tissue Damage
DEATH
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Taipoxin Paradoxin (neurotoxins)Oxylepitoxin-1 (neurotoxin)…And some phospholipases A2 enzyme
(vPLA2s)
Venom components.
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Participate in :Digestion of prey Venom toxicity (including neurotoxicityn myotoxicity,…)
Are natural endogenous ligands (binds to other chemical entities, act as a catalyser)
Therapeutics prescriptions :Lipid digestionHost defense mechanisms :
inflammation defenseAntibacterial defense
vPLA2s’ proprieties.
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Receptors, binding proteins for vPLA2s have been identified in mammals (not only in venomous animals !)
Do a diversity of mammalian secrete vPLA2s enzyme ? A scientific study shows that sPLA2 fold has been used by both
snakes and mammals to generate various proteins with specific biological effects.
Snakes and other venomous animals elaborate sPLA2s distinct from those produced by venom glands to support physiological functions
vPLA2s’ proprieties.
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Venom glands thought to have evolved from digestive glands
A single snake venom… can contain a variety of vPLA2s (up to 15 distinct
enzymes) The genes for these vPLA2s are likely to have
evolved through positive Darwinian selection.
Evolution.
Is this positive Darwinian selection ?
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Deadly does not mean dangerous !
Is shy and secretive, prefers to escape from trouble,bites only if threatened.
To be fair…