The inland taipan lives in the dry, cracked clay flats of remote central Australia. Drop for drop, its venom is the deadliest of any land snake known. A single bite can hold enough toxin to harm dozens of large animals. Yet most Australians have never seen one, and the snake almost never bites people.
That is because the taipan is shy. It spends much of the day hiding in cracks and rodent burrows, only coming out to hunt for the small rats and mice that share its dusty home. When humans approach, it usually slips away. The few people who have been bitten were nearly always handling the snake on purpose.
The taipan also changes color with the seasons. In summer it turns a pale straw color to reflect heat. In winter it darkens to soak up more sun. The combination of a hidden home, a peaceful nature and amazing camouflage means the most venomous snake on Earth is, in practice, almost never a threat. (Worth knowing: snakes are venomous, not poisonous - they inject toxin through a bite. Things you eat or touch are poisonous.)
