taipan
There are three species of ‘taipan’ snakes: (1) coastal taipan, (2) inland taipan or ‘small-scaled snake’ or ‘fierce snake’, (3) central ranges taipan.
a kind of snake –venomous (= having poison in their bite) – egg-laying – large but slender body in cream on head, and light or dark brown or copper or olive colour body – size: 6-12 feet in length, and 3-6 Kg. in weight; feeds on (eats) mostly rats and bandicoots, mice, lizards, birds; lives for —; 3 species, found in parts of Australia
The taipans are the largest and the most deadly snakes in Australia.
The taipan has far stronger venom than any other snake in the world – the venom in its one bite is enough to kill 100 people!!
Taipans are kept on farms and ‘milked’ (= extract venom by making them bite a thin rubber covered jar, and collect the poison) for their venom which is used in anti-venom drugs!
1.
taipan (noun) = (in Chinese language it literally means ‘top class’) a businessman from another country doing business in China; a rich trader in China
2.
as touchy as a taipan [said of someone who is restless, nervous and dangerous]
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