New Species
O. temporalis differs from its two congeneric species Oxyuranus scutellatus and Oxyuranus microlepidotus in lacking a temporolabial scale and having six rather than seven infralabial scales. Phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA sequences showed it to be the sister species of the two previously known taipans.
The two other described species of Oxyuranus are among the most venomous land snakes in the world - Oxyuranus microlepidotus ranked the most venomous land snake and Oxyuranus scutellatus the third most venomous after Pseudonaja textilis. The new species, O. temporalis, is likely to be extremely venomous given its close relationship to the other two species. As the new species is known from the single specimen, very little is known of its natural history, and nothing of its venom.
Read more about this topic: Oxyuranus Temporalis
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