In Queensland, it has adapted well to sugarcane fields, where it thrives on the rodent population in the fields. It can be found in warm, wetter temperate to tropical coastal regions, in monsoon forests, wet and dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands, and in natural and artificial grassy areas, including grazing paddocks and disused rubbish tips. The coastal taipan can be found in a variety of different habitats. The second subspecies ( Oxyuranus scutellatus canni ) is found throughout the island of New Guinea, with higher concentrations of the snake being found in the nation of Papua New Guinea. However, the coastal taipan is not found in regions where the maximum winter temperature is below 20 ☌ (68 ☏). Its geographical range extends from north-western Western Australia, the Northern Territory, across Cape York Peninsula and down eastern Queensland into northern New South Wales (as far south as Grafton). The coastal taipan occurs in Australia and the island of New Guinea, which comprises two Indonesian provinces on the west side of the island and the nation of Papua New Guinea on the east side of the island.įound in northern and eastern Australia, the coastal taipan, despite its name, can live in habitats hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest beach. The subcaudals number 45–80 and are divided. The dorsal scales are in 21-23 rows at mid-body. The number and arrangement of scales on a snake's body are key elements of identification to species level. The eyes are large, round, and are light brown or even hazel in colour with large pupils. Individuals undergo a seasonal change in colour, becoming darker in winter and fading in summer. The colouration is lighter on the sides of the body, and the ventral side (the belly) is usually a creamy-white to a pale light yellow in colour, and is often marked with orange or pink flecks. It is often uniformly light olive or reddish-brown in colour, but some specimens may be dark gray to black. The body is slender and colouration can vary. scutellatus has an angular brow and is lighter-coloured on the face. The two species are strongly convergent in several aspects of morphology, ecology and behaviour. The head of the coastal taipan is long and narrow like that of the African black mamba ( Dendroaspis polylepis), but without the "coffin" shape. The taipan is exceeded in length among venomous snakes only by the Asiatic king cobra, African black mamba, and genus Lachesis (bushmasters) of the American neotropics. However, though exceptionally rare, much larger specimens are widely believed to exist, including specimens of as much as 3.3 m (11 ft). According to the Queensland Museum, the longest recorded total length for the coastal taipan was a specimen that was 2.9 m (9.5 ft) and weighed 6.5 kg (14 lb). A specimen of an average 2 m (6.6 ft) total length weighs around 3 kg (6.6 lb). Other taipans, including the inland taipan, attain broadly similar sizes although they tend to be slightly smaller in average size. More mature specimens can grow to between 1.5 and 2.0 m (4.9 and 6.6 ft). Adult specimens of this species typically attain sexual maturity around 1.2 m (3.9 ft) in total length (including tail). The coastal taipan is the longest venomous snake in Australia. Throughout the southern portion of the island of New GuineaĪustralia: coastal Queensland, northern parts of Northern Territory and the northeastern parts of Western Australia Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |