Inland taipan in serious cases where there is significant envenoming. Causes of death: Until 1955, the only antivenom available for general distribution for Australian snakes was the monovalent (specific) tiger snake ("Notechis") antivenom, which gave varying degrees of cross-protection against the bites of most other dangerous Australian snakes. Thereafter followed specific anti-venom for other common snakes among them the coastal taipan, and finally, a polyvalent (broad spectrum) antivenom, a combined antivenom for the bites of any unidentified snake from Australia. The coastal taipan anti-venom, known as "taipan antivenom", is effective against the inland taipan venom as well, but it is not as
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