Coastal taipan detected, the snake "freezes" before hurling itself forward and issuing several quick bites. The prey is released and allowed to stagger away. This strategy minimizes the snake’s chance of being harmed in retaliation, particularly by rats, which can inflict lethal damage with their long incisors and claws. It is not a confrontational snake and will seek to escape any threat. When cornered, though, it can become very aggressive and may strike repeatedly. The coastal taipan feeds solely on warm-blooded animals such as mammals and birds, and its diet consists entirely of rats, mice, bandicoots, and various species of birds. "Oxyuranus
Taipan Taipan The taipans are snakes of the genus Oxyuranus in the elapid family. They are large, fast-moving, highly venomous, and endemic to Australasia. There are currently three recognised species, one of which, the coastal taipan, has two subspecies. The taipans are considered some of the most deadly known snakes. The common name, taipan, was coined by anthropologist Donald Thomson after the word used by the Wik-Mungkan Aboriginal people of central Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. The genus name is from Greek "oxys" (sharp, needle-like) and "ouranos" (an arch, specifically the arch of the heavens), and refers to the needle-like anterior