PREVIEW

A snake in Australia has set a new world record for the most raw venom extracted from a single yield.

The snake, named Cyclone, produced 5.2 grams of venom, surpassing the previous record of 4.9 grams held by a Coastal Taipan named Whiplash.

Billy Collett, Operations Manager at the Australian Reptile Park where both snakes reside, said: “Cyclone is one of our most dangerous snakes here at the park and is known for being quite unpredictable and keeping us all on our toes. Especially as we all know what he is capable of with his continuously large venom yields!”

Collett further explained that the Reptile Park’s venom keepers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, requiring confidence, nerves of steel, and extensive experience. “Coastal Taipans are not the most venomous snake in the world, but they are known worldwide for their aggression and bites have caused fatalities every year. We are the only facility in Australia that milks taipans for the production of antivenom so Cyclone’s record-breaking contribution will go towards saving someone’s life.”

The Australian Reptile Park houses over 250 of the world’s most venomous snakes, which are milked fortnightly as part of Australia’s only venom program responsible for the production of antivenom.

The Australian Reptile Park’s venom program extracts venom from five groups of Australia’s deadliest snakes, including Taipans, Brown Snakes, Tiger Snakes, Death Adders, and Black Snakes. Every year there are 2,000 reported snake bites in Australia, with over 300 receiving antivenom and having their lives saved by the program.

“The process of milking a venomous snake requires keepers to secure the 3-metre-long deadly snake, sink its fangs into a large shot glass covered with plastic and get it to deliver its lethal bite. The venom is then freeze-dried to remove all moisture and delivered to CSL Seqirus in Melbourne to produce the antivenom,” concluded Collett.

Taipans, like all venomous snakes, are essential within Australia’s ecosystem as they keep other animals like rodents, amphibians, and smaller reptile species in check, maintaining balance.

Since the 1950s, the Australian Reptile Park has been the sole supplier of terrestrial snake venom for the purpose of making antivenom. This process is not for the faint of heart and requires staff to risk their lives daily to handle some of Australia’s deadliest snakes by encouraging them to bite on plastic pulled to the same tension as human skin to inject their venom. The snakes are milked on a fortnightly rotation and treated with the utmost care.