The tiger snake's terrible temper makes it one of the most dangerous serpents in the world. This creature doesn't slither away from anything that invades its territory. The snake attacks intruders, and humans have often been targets. The tiger snake's venom contains more than a dozen toxins, and this poison cocktail often proves fatal.
Tiger Stripes: The tiger snake got its name from the yellowish and cream-colored stripes that cover the dark scales on its back. In tall grass these stripes camouflage the snake and help it ambush prey or hide from predators.
Get Back: Unlike many snakes, this species has no fear of standing its ground against humans. When cornered, the tiger snake flattens the skin around its head and neck, and will strike at the first opportunity it gets.
The Lesser of Two Evils[]
Dark scales keep this snake well-hidden.
When the tiger snake strikes, it hits hard and holds tight. This serpent's fangs are small, so once they sink into a victim's skin, the snake works it lower jaw in a chewing motion, allowing a full dose of poison to flow out. The creature's venom contains 15 different toxins that break down the victim's nervous system, blood and muscles. The poison paralyzes small victims within seconds and kills them a few minutes later.
Up a Tree: This snake eats mostly frogs, reptiles and rodents, but is also known to go after baby birds. The tiger snake uses the wide scales on its belly to grip tree bark as it climbs toward a nest.
Deadly Dose: This snake's venom is so strong that just 0.0001 of an ounce can kill a human. The snake normally injects about 12 times that amount into a victim with a single bite.
Do NOT Skip School[]
- While skipping school one day, an Australian boy wanders through the wilderness looking for snakes. The boy doesn't see a tiger snake just off the path, but the snake sees him. Without warning, the snake lashes out and sinks its fangs into the boy's leg.
- The snake slithers off to safety, but the boy is afraid of getting in trouble for taking the day off from school, so he doesn't seek help. After a few minutes, he becomes disoriented and can't find his way home. The boy collapses as the venom runs through his body.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The "The Lesser of Two Evils" section on the back of the card repeatedly erroneously refers to the snake's venom as poison.
- The tiger snake shares the heading "Poison Cocktail" with the Thick-Tailed Scorpion.
- Like the tiger snake as mentioned above, the scorpion is venomous, not poisonous.