EnvironmentThe inland taipan occurs across the South West of Queensland and the North East of South Australia and the eastern borders of the Northern territory, in mostly desert type terrain with little vegetation and very dry plain ground. These types of conditions suit the reptile body of the snake which requires intense heat to gain energy. In these areas temperatures are very high. These snakes hide in the deep cracks in the dry soil to escape the heat of the outside as well as hiding from predators. The temperatures of these deserts are harsh and can range from close to 50 degrees during the day to the negatives at night time. In these areas there is generally very little rainfall.
In this kind of environment the Inland Taipan faces the challenge of staying cool. They do this by altering their colour depending on the season. In winter the colour becomes darker to absorb more heat and in summer it becomes lighter to reflect heat. The lack of water in these areas causes there to be very few animals which survive in the desert. The rats which these snakes feed on grow in very low numbers during drought. This affects the snakes which have minimal food during these times and can die due to the lack of food.
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Rhythmic PatternThe Inland Taipan generally is nocturnal or diurnal meaning it is mostly active during the morning or at night depending on the season. In very hot times it is more likely to be active at night however in cooler periods it becomes active in the morning.
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