An illustration of a central ranges taipan.

Original news of find reported here on Cryptomundo.

New deadly species found

A NEW species of the world’s most venomous snake, the taipan, has been discovered.

The central ranges taipan was found in the central desert of Western Australia but its habitat could extend into the Northern Territory and South Australia.

Dr Mark Hutchinson, from the SA Museum, caught the snake crossing a dirt track on a sunny afternoon during a survey of the Ngaanyatjarra lands late last year. The find was announced yesterday. Laboratory analysis at the WA Museum, and DNA testing at the SA Museum, confirmed it was a new species.

Professor Steve Donnellan, who conducted the DNA tests, says this find has real significance.

“Its DNA profile is very distinctive, compared with the other taipans and the brown snakes,” he said.

“The last big new snake discovery in Australia was probably in the early ’80s, one in northern Australia and one in the southwest. And the last new taipan was discovered 125 years ago.” Professor Richard Shine is a leading Australian biologist and an expert on the evolution and ecology of Australian snakes.

“My initial reaction is that this is really exciting,” he said. “Taipans are such an icon of Australia.

“To discover that there’s an entirely new taipan, more than a hundred years after the last one, really gives us an idea of what might be out there.”

There are two other species of the snake, the inland taipan, and the common taipan, of which there are two sub species, mainland coastal and Papuan.

Professor Shine says it is still very common for people to be finding new species. “It does seem remarkable that such large animals of general interest are quite poorly known,” he said.

“Maybe that reflects how few people are interested in going out to catch large snakes on hot days.”Clare Peddie
The Advertiser