Science meets the taipan: the discovery and description of an iconic venomous snake

Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this publication contains images of deceased persons, and discussion of historical events which may be deemed culturally sensitive. Reflecting its large size and potent venom, the coastal taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) from northern Australia has been the subject of several books and popular articles but published accounts of the species’ discovery and classification by Western scientists contain numerous errors and omissions. Based on examination of original specimens and historical documents, we summarise the circumstances in which the first specimens of taipans were collected and we tease out the multiple mistakes that delayed adoption of the scientific and vernacular names currently used for the species. Our analysis identifies both answers and knowledge gaps about issues such as who collected the first specimens, why errors were made in identifying and naming this massive snake, the pathways through which errors and assumptions were perpetuated, and a lack of recognition for First Nations collectors who played important roles in the capture of at least two of the first three taipans known to Australian science.