By Tereza Pultarova, Live
Science Contributor | November 9, 2017 03:47pm ET
An Australian teenager was left
fighting for his life after being bitten by his pet inland taipan, one of the
most dangerous snake species in the world, according to news reports.
The teen was attempting to put
the pet snake back into its enclosure, when it lashed out and bit him, Fox
News reported Nov. 7. He was rushed to the hospital and remained in serious
condition as of Nov. 7.
But what makes the inland taipan
(Oxyuranus microlepidotus) so
dangerous? [The
World's 6 Deadliest Snakes]
"The taipan is a mammal
specialist. It feeds almost exclusively on mammals, which is quite
uncommon," said David Penning, a biologist and snake expert at the
Missouri Southern State University.
As a result of this
"specialism," the taipan's venom has evolved to be extremely lethal
for all mammals, including humans, Penning told Live Science.
One reason the snake's
venom is extremely potent is that it combines two types of toxic
components that start affecting the human body very soon after entering the
person's system.
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