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Definition of papuan taipan

papuan taipan

Plural:Papuan taipans
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papuan taipan Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A large, highly venomous elapid snake native to the southern coastal regions of New Guinea, known as a subspecies of the coastal taipan and responsible for a significant number of snakebite fatalities in the region.

Example

"The Papuan taipan is heavily studied by toxicologists because its potent neurotoxic venom requires specific antivenom for effective treatment."

Word Origin & Etymology

The name reflects its native geographical range in New Guinea ('Papuan') and 'taipan', which derives from the Wik-Mungkan Aboriginal Australian word 'dhayban', referring to a large, highly venomous snake.

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Papuan taipan. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/papuan taipan
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