Coastal taipan venomous snake in Australia. Adult specimens of this species typically attain sexual maturity around in total length (including tail). More mature specimens can grow to between . Other taipans, including the inland taipan, attain broadly similar sizes although they tend to be slightly smaller in average size. A specimen of an average total length weighs around . According to the Queensland Museum, the longest recorded total length for the coastal taipan was a specimen that was and weighed . However, though exceptionally rare, much larger specimens are widely believed to exist, including specimens of as much as . The taipan
Inland taipan Cook University, the majority of components in the venom have not been characterized and little molecular research has been undertaken on taipan ("Oxyuranus") species at large. As of 2005, the amino acid sequences of only seven proteins from inland taipan have been submitted to SWISS-PROT databases. The mortality rate is high in untreated cases: Clinically, envenomation may represent a complex scenario of multiple organ system poisoning with neurotoxic symptoms typically dominating. Acute renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, and disseminated coagulopathy may also complicate the setting. The first local and general symptoms of a bite are local pain and variable non-specific effects which