How do you care for a tiny predator that could kill 100 men?
By Bianca Hall
Their venom is the most toxic of all snakes in the world, and even their babies’ bites carry enough venom to kill 100 adults.
Why, then, does Ballarat Wildlife Park’s head of reptiles Jack Gatto love inland taipans so much?
Ballarat Wildlife Park’s head of reptiles Jack Gatto with his “beautiful” Priscilla.Credit: Ballarat Wildlife Park
“I just love how beautiful they are – snakes create balance in the ecosystem; they’re nature’s pest control,” he said. “Snakes aren’t out to kill ya – they’re just misunderstood.”
Gatto spoke to this masthead from his side-hustle at Tamworth Music Festival, where he is performing as an Elvis impersonator.
It makes sense, then, that the snakes that have delivered two clutches of eggs at Ballarat Wildlife Park are named Elvis and Priscilla.
Late last year Priscilla laid 14 eggs from which nine hatchlings emerged, and last month after another successful pairing, she laid another 15 eggs, which are incubating.
The incoming year of the snake has already proven lucky for Ballarat Wildlife Park.Credit: Ballarat Wildlife Park
The zoo hopes the second clutch of eggs will produce another eight or nine hatchlings.
Last year’s eggs, from which baby snakes hatched last month, have already been removed from Priscilla for their own protection.
“Snakes have no maternal instinct whatsoever so we’ve separated the babies, and we’re starting to offer them food so they can take care of themselves,” Gatto said.
But nor are the hatchlings defenceless. While adult inland taipans can grow to 2.5 metres long, their babies – about the size of a school ruler – still pack a powerful punch of venom.
“We have to be extremely careful handling them because they’re packed with the most toxic venom in the world,” Gatto said.
“They’re equally dangerous as their parents as they’re a lot quicker and more likely to strike out of fear. One bite from one of these little guys could kill over 100 men.”
Inland taipans hail from semi-arid inland central Australia and have earned the perhaps unfair moniker “fierce snake”. Unlike the more aggressive coastal taipans, inland taipans are described as shy and placid.
“They’re one of the most misunderstood animals on the planet,” Gatto said.
Inland taipans are listed as being of least conservation concern in Queensland, and presumed extinct in NSW and Victoria.
The hatchlings are not on display yet, but may be sent to other zoos in future or released into the wild if numbers decline further.
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