The approximate subcutaneous LD50 for inland taipan venom is 0.025 mg/kg in laboratory mice. LD50 means the median lethal dose: the amount expected to kill half of a test population under defined experimental conditions.
This extraordinarily small value helps explain why the inland taipan, Oxyuranus microlepidotus, is widely regarded as the world’s most venomous snake when venom potency is compared in mouse LD50 tests. Its venom is especially effective against warm-blooded prey, including the small mammals that make up much of its diet. A single bite can deliver enough venom to kill many adult humans, although bites are rare because the snake is reclusive and lives in remote central Australia.
The figure should not be treated as a universal constant. LD50 results depend on the animal tested, venom preparation, dose route, and laboratory method. A value as low as 0.01 mg/kg has also been reported under a different preparation, while intravenous and other routes have not been systematically established. The stored 0.025 mg/kg figure is the standard subcutaneous comparison used for this fact.