# 'Secret' Snake Discovered In WA



## MrBredli (Jul 16, 2010)

*Published On:* -
*Source:* Perth Now

ONE OF Australia's rarest and most venomous snakes has been found in WA - sparking calls for more research into the "secret" species.

The adult female Central Ranges taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis) was discovered during a biological survey at Ilkurlka, 165km west of the South Australian border and 600km east of Laverton, on the Anne Beadell Highway in the Great Victoria Desert. It is only the second individual of this species known to science.

*Go to Original Article*


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## sarah_m (Jul 16, 2010)

Makes you wonder how many other species are yet to be discovered....


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## gecko-mad (Jul 16, 2010)

Awesome, a few months ago at the herp meeting they were saying it's only a matter of time before one pops up!


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## $NaKe PiMp (Jul 16, 2010)

"captured"? what an awesome find, but by the picture it looks like it had the same fate as last one,still very useful as a specimen.
I hope to see a live one eventually on display,i suppose its just a matter of time.


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## Khagan (Jul 16, 2010)

The article states that it is dead =(.

"The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) said the discovery of the *now-dead* taipan highlighted the need for more surveys to document "the many secrets scientists believe are hidden in the relatively unexplored region''."


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## jamesn48 (Jul 16, 2010)

They've still never found a male one, its unfortunate they kill them, the first one discovered they thought was a Mulga snake, but they killed it anyway then later found out it was a new Taipan.


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## Southside Morelia (Jul 16, 2010)

That's a GOOD news story for all the critters they found.....
I'm confused, that pic definitely looks as thought its dead and dried a tad....is that the one they found in the hands of the Spinifex people/
Bloody good looking animal, shame its dead!!!!.
Cheers..


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## Jonno from ERD (Jul 16, 2010)

G'day guys,

The first one was actually mistaken for a Western Brown. The second one was found and killed by some locals. Unfortunately they are far more valuable to science dead then alive.


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## Darlyn (Jul 16, 2010)

This story reminds me of the science student that found the oldest living tree in the world and cut it down to prove it.


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## snakelady-viper (Jul 16, 2010)

They could always clone it


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## Kristy_07 (Jul 16, 2010)

"As well as discovering the snake, the survey also revealed 10 native mammal species and 26 reptile species that had not previously been known to inhabit the area, as well as recording 59 bird species"

That's amazing!


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## cement (Jul 16, 2010)

Thats on about the same latitude of Lismore(east) and Geraldton (west). A fair way south from any of its cousins.


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## nathancl (Jul 16, 2010)

as stated previously although this one would have been taken as a specimen it was not infact killed by those who were conducting the survey.


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## Fuscus (Jul 16, 2010)

The visible damage on the animal suggest it was not killed for scientific purposes.


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## BrownHash (Jul 16, 2010)

From what I have been told it was killed by locals before those doing the survey got their hands on it. Its a bit further south than the last central ranges taipan recorded. Luckily there is a bit of distances between the two records, meaning that there must be a few of them floating around out there. All that is need is more work done in the area.


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## redbellybite (Jul 17, 2010)

Very interesting ..will be very curious to know how the venom toxicity will be rated wether it sits close to the inland or the coastal ..


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## Jonno from ERD (Jul 17, 2010)

cement said:


> Thats on about the same latitude of Lismore(east) and Geraldton (west). A fair way south from any of its cousins.


 
Hey mate,

Coastal Taipans have been found as far south as approximately Grafton, and Inland Taipans have a disjunct population around Coober Pedy - both approximately on the same latitude of the new record.


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## Allan (Jul 17, 2010)

Hi Jonno,
Do you have any references in re. to the Grafton record(s)? I have always been curious about the NSW claims, but have never come across any documentation.


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## womapyth (Jul 17, 2010)

Would be interesting to know if there is a population at Grafton, not a specimen or two that "hitched" a ride south.


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## Jonno from ERD (Jul 17, 2010)

I know of four individuals, one of which was found quite recently. The chances of a single Taipan hitching a ride are very slim, let alone four. It seems like this population may be disjunct by a couple of hundred km from their nearest locality in QLD.


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## womapyth (Jul 17, 2010)

Thanks Jonno, very interesting information. 

Amazing there can be populations so separated . It appears there are no populations here on the Sunshine Coast but plenty north of Gympie, about 80 kms away and hundreds of kms south at Grafton. 

Spent a few days camping down near Grafton one winter. Much colder than the Sunshine Coast. Our water bucket froze solid. These southern taipans would have a different life to their northern relatives.


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## Jonno from ERD (Jul 17, 2010)

G'day Woma,

They are on the Sunshine Coast. One was found at Coolum Beach last year. They are incredibly rare and incredibly elusive though. I have put in literally thousands of hours of searching in the Brisbane Valley and come up empty handed, despite having exact GPS data. If you do a search, you'll find a thread I posted with photo's of some SEQ Taipans...one from near Fernvale, one from a little west of Samford and another from just outside of SEQ near Gladstone. 

Kin Kin near Gympie is a "hotspot" for Taipans, or at least was. David Fleay collected quite a few from that area. Neil Charles has found several in the Brisbane Valley, but that was between 10 and 35 years ago. Also, after the dam was built out there, there was one or two a year found dead on the roads.


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## womapyth (Jul 17, 2010)

Jonno you need to write a book about this. Your adventures and depth of knowledge would make great reading.


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## scorps (Jul 17, 2010)

womapyth said:


> Jonno you need to write a book about this. Your adventures and depth of knowledge would make great reading.



Haha dont boost his ego to much Womapyth, Haha jokes Jono


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## Jonno from ERD (Jul 17, 2010)

womapyth said:


> Jonno you need to write a book about this. Your adventures and depth of knowledge would make great reading.


 
Give me a few more decades and I might consider it...Coastal Taipans are just a passion of mine, so my brain is like a sponge whenever I hear any info about them...you've got to have your own information to write a book, not everyone elses haha!


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## Waterrat (Jul 17, 2010)

Jonno, they're my favorite elapids too. I'll be "shooting" taipans around Jelatten over the next two months - it'll be great, there are still some spots where they're in good numbers. I am just waiting for those cold, sunny mornings. Nev Burns is coming up too.


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## Jonno from ERD (Jul 17, 2010)

G'day mate,

Is there a spare seat in your car? We received two freshly wild caught 1.8 metre males from Julatten...they aren't the prettiest of Taipans but I'm guessing there's only one thing that beats the rush of unbagging a freshly caught Taipan, and that's catching one. 

I look forward to seeing your photo's mate.


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## Waterrat (Jul 17, 2010)

Gee, I didn't know the QPWS were allowing taking from the wild. Was it for demos or venom?
There wll be a spare seat but I prefer to work alone. It's never easy to get close enough to taipans for a good shot and the more people, the less chance. Nev just wants to re-visit some old hunting grounds, so we do Julatten, Tully Gorge and few other places.


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## Jonno from ERD (Jul 17, 2010)

Waterrat said:


> Gee, I didn't know the QPWS were allowing taking from the wild. Was it for demos or venom?
> There wll be a spare seat but I prefer to work alone. It's never easy to get close enough to taipans for a good shot and the more people, the less chance. Nev just wants to re-visit some old hunting grounds, so we do Julatten, Tully Gorge and few other places.


 
The snakes were collected under a harvest permit for venom production. Good luck finding some, I love seeing wild Taipans.


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## PimmsPythons (Jul 17, 2010)

there is a rich pocket of coastal taipans at turkey beach,about 40 minutes south of Gladstone as well.i'd also go as far as saying that i have seen as many ,if not more taipans than eastern browns in the turkey beach area,where as only a handful pop up in Gladstone, but we get hundreds of eastern browns.
cheers
simon


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## Snowman (Jul 17, 2010)

Speaking of taking from the wild, I'm surprised DEC didn't find some to send east. (yes I'm still bitter we can't keep RSP and the whole saga that goes with it!)


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## SnakeyTroy (Jul 22, 2010)

Wow! this is incredible. I find it so exciting that we are still discovering new species. Australia is a vast continent and so much of it is still untouched. who knows what else might be out there! the article says that the venom toxicity of this new Taipan is yet unknown, I wonder could it be more toxic than that of the Inland Taipan?


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