Coastal Taipan: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Skinks, Geckos and Snakes · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. The coastal taipan hunts by sight. It often glides along with its head lifted a little off the ground, scanning for prey.
2. Its trick is snap and release: a few lightning-fast bites, then it lets go, so a rat never gets the chance to bite back.
3. This snake changes with the seasons: its colour turns darker in winter and fades again in summer.
4. Babies hatch at 30 to 34 cm long and grow fast, by about 6.7 cm a month, reaching a metre in their first year.
5. Sugarcane fields suit it well. The coastal taipan thrives there on the many rats and mice that live among the cane.

The quiz

1. Which sense does the coastal taipan mainly use to find prey?

• Hearing
• Sight (correct)
• Touch
• Taste

It scans for prey with its well-developed eyesight.

2. Why does the taipan let go after biting a rat?

• To save it for later
• Because it is full
• To avoid being hurt (correct)
• To show it to its young

Letting go keeps it safe from the rat's teeth and claws.

3. When is the coastal taipan darkest in colour?

• In winter (correct)
• In summer
• Only at night
• Only when young

It becomes darker in winter and fades in summer.

4. How long is a young taipan after its first year?

• About 10 cm
• About 3 m
• About 20 cm
• About a metre (correct)

The young grow quickly and reach about a metre in a year.

5. What draws coastal taipans to sugarcane fields?

• The sweet sugar
• The cool shade only
• The rats and mice (correct)
• The water channels only

It thrives on the rodents living in the fields.

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