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Massive 8kg king brown snake at Australian Reptile Park could be the most venomous in the country

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Massive king brown snake weighing nearly 8kg could be Australia’s most deadly after excreting enough venom to kill 20 adult men

  • A 7.8kg snake that measures 2.7m long could be biggest venomous snake in Aus
  • His venom is so potent it could kill 20 adult men and is used to make anti-venom
  • The snake named Titan received health check at Australian Reptile Park in NSW 

By Jade Hobman For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

A lethal reptile that produced enough venom to kill 20 men could be one of the largest venomous snakes in Australia.

‘Titan’ the king brown snake was getting a health check at the Australian Reptile Park on the NSW Central Coast when a whopping 5.58g of venom was extracted from its mouth. 

The reptile, also known as a mulga snake, weighed in at a solid 7.8kg and measured almost 2.7m long. 

A king brown snake typically weighs up to 6kg and measures 2.5m. 

Billy Collett from the Australian Reptile Park (pictured with Titan) said he could tell the king brown snake was a solid weight - 'I could feel it when I was holding him'.

Billy Collett from the Australian Reptile Park (pictured with Titan) said he could tell the king brown snake was a solid weight – ‘I could feel it when I was holding him’.

Titan weighs close to 8kg and is 2.68metres long – one of the largest venomous snakes in Australia

It is estimated the venom collected by the reptile park saves at least 300 lives per year (Titan giving a sample)

Australian Reptile Park Operations Manager Billy Collett was dumbfounded at the Titan’s mammoth size.

‘Far out, he is 7.8kg and I can tell you I could feel it when I was holding him,’ he said.

Mr Collett said he expected a huge amount of venom to come from the snake, which has an extraction once a fortnight.

The park is the only one in the world that milks Australian terrestrial snakes for their venom which is crucial for making anti-venom for those bitten by the reptiles. 

‘It is mind blowing to think that this bit of venom is actually going to contribute to saving human lives – what a massive yield of venom,’ Mr Collett said.  

The snake expert said about 300 lives are saved each year because of the venom program at the reptile park. 

Staff at the reptile hub weigh and measure the snakes as a way of monitoring their health, as it is hard to gauge when they get sick. 

‘Titan’ the king brown snake was getting a health check at the Australian Reptile Park on the NSW Central Coast when a whopping 5.58g of venom was extracted from its mouth

The total venom extracted (pictured after Titan the king brown snake obliged with a sample)weighed a massive 5.58g – enough to do away with 20 men

KING BROWN SNAKE FACTS 

Despite its common name, the king brown snake is not a true brown snake but one of the black snake family

A bite from this snake would therefore be treated with black snake anti-venom

They are named brown snakes because of their common brown colour 

As with many Australian snakes the colour is variable

Most specimens are mid-brown, some with a coppery tinge, others being quite dark

King browns are robust snakes with a wide head and large specimens will reach a length over 2.5m

They inhabit all of Australia except the east and south coastal areas

These snakes eat other reptiles, snakes and lizards but occasionally feast on birds, mammals and frogs

Female king browns produce a clutch of around 8-20 eggs, which may be laid in a disused burrow or beneath a log or rock

There is no maternal care for the eggs once they have been laid and incubation lasts for about two to three months, when the baby snakes go in search of their first lizard meal

 Source: Australian Reptile Park, Snake Facts

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