Inland taipan taipan's long pointed tail. The specific name, "microlepidotus", means "small-scaled" (Latin). Hence the common name, small-scaled snake. Since it has been determined (Covacevich et al., 1981) that the fierce snake (formerly: "Parademansia microlepidota") is actually part of the genus "Oxyuranus" (taipan), another species, "Oxyuranus scutellatus", which was previously commonly named taipan (coined from the aboriginal snake's name "Dhayban") became coastal taipan (or eastern taipan), and the now newly classified "Oxyuranus microlepidotus", became commonly known as inland taipan (or western taipan). The word "fierce" from its alternative name, fierce snake, describes its powerful venom. The inland taipan inhabits the black soil
Inland taipan the prey with a series of rapid, accurate strikes. It is known to deliver up to eight venomous bites in a single attack, often snapping its jaws fiercely several times to inflict multiple punctures in the same attack. Its more risky attack strategy entails holding its prey with its body and biting it repeatedly. This injects the extremely toxic venom deep into the prey. The venom acts so rapidly that its prey does not have time to fight back. In captivity it may also eat day-old chicks. Inland taipan produce clutches of between one and two dozen eggs. The eggs