Taipan egg update
(Media release dated 25 4 2005)

A while back, snakebusters put a media release post on AAP Media net about some Taipan eggs.

The update is that four hatched as expected and all were smaller than average for the species at hatching (based on published data).

All young appeared to progress well, but after some weeks, one died without explanation, (as in healthy in morning and seen dead in cage at night.

The remaining trio seem OK and in line with other baby snakes at the snakebusters facility have a mixed diet of "dregs" as in rodent limbs, fish, lumps of meat and that's about it.

The young are growing at about 2 inch a month and are expected to exceed 2 feet in about 6-9 weeks.

Young Taipans, while deadly, are not as aggressive as young Eastern Brown Snakes which are a species common to Sydney and Melbourne.

A photo of one of the young Taipans hatching can be seen on the website:

http://www.herp.net

or

http://www.smuggled.com/pap1.htm

by scrolling down the page and seeing the photo on the right.

Update - June 2005 - No change in status of remaining three Taipans. All now exceed 60 cm in total length (2 feet) and are growing at about 2 inches a month. One has a series of congenital defects including a hair lip and kinked tail and a second snake also has kinks in it's tail, both snakes having these defects from birth.

Further inquiries, photo opportunities, etc:

Phone: Raymond Hoser 0412 777 211 (in Australia).

Non-urgent email inquiries via the Snakebusters bookings page at:
http://www.snakebusters.com.au/sbsboo1.htm

Urgent inquiries phone:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:
(03) 9812 3322 or 0412 777 211