NARRATOR: Concealed deep
within their burrows,
native nocturnal rodents
spend the daylight
hours resting and keeping cool.
But if they think they
are safe down here,
they're surely mistaken.
With highly specialized
receptors on her tongue,
the inland taipan detects
key chemicals in the air,
alerting her to the
presence of prey.
The hunt is on.
Her slender body
is perfectly shaped
to invade the rodent's retreat.
Stealth is key to her success.
Smooth and glossy scales
reduce surface friction
so her movements are
fluid and silent.
In closer quarters, she relies
on relatively strong eyesight
to hone in on a target.
Fast and agile, native rodents
are no easy meal for a taipan,
even in these confined spaces.
The taipan has
chosen her victim,
a plump desert plains rat.
She leaves little to
chance, strategically
positioning herself
to corner her mark
before moving in for the kill.
Her strike is incredibly fast
and devastatingly accurate.
To reduce the risk of
injury to themselves,
snakes will often
strike and retreat.
But the inland taipan
strikes repeatedly,
for she knows the
complex cocktail
of toxins within her venom
will kill, and kill fast.
While hemotoxins attack the
rodent's circulatory system,
fast-acting neurotoxins induce
paralysis and ultimately
respiratory failure.
Together, these potent
ingredients form
an overwhelmingly lethal dose.
For the rat, the end is swift.
It's the chemical complexity
of the inland taipan's venom
that makes it the
world's deadliest snake.
