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Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
Black mambas are actually brown in color. They get their name from the
blue-black of the inside of
their mouths, which they display when threatened.
Photograph by George Grall
Black Mamba range Fast Facts
Type: Reptile
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in captivity: 11 years or more
Size: Up to 14 ft (4.3 m)
Weight: Up to 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)
Did you know? Black mambas use their incredible speed to escape threats, not
to hunt prey.
Black mambas are fast, nervous, lethally venomous, and when threatened,
highly aggressive. They
have been blamed for numerous human deaths, and African myths exaggerate
their capabilities to
legendary proportions. For these reasons, the black mamba is widely
considered the world's deadliest
snake.
Black mambas live in the savannas and rocky hills of southern and eastern
Africa. They are Africa's
longest venomous snake, reaching up to 14 feet (4.5 meters) in length,
although 8.2 feet (2.5
meters) is more the average. They are also among the fastest snakes in the
world, slithering at
speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour (20 kilometers per hour).
They get their name not from their skin color, which tends to be olive to
gray, but rather from the
blue-black color of the inside of their mouth, which they display when
threatened.
Black mambas are shy and will almost always seek to escape when confronted.
However, when
cornered, these snakes will raise their heads, sometimes with a third of
their body off the ground,
spread their cobra-like neck-flap, open their black mouths and hiss. If an
attacker persists, the
mamba will strike not once, but repeatedly, injecting large amounts of
potent neuro- and cardiotoxin
with each strike.
Before the advent of black mamba antivenin, a bite from this fearsome
serpent was 100 percent fatal,
usually within about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, antivenin is still not
widely available in the rural parts
of the mamba's range, and mamba-related deaths remain frequent.
The black mamba has no special conservation status. However, encroachment on
its territory is not
only putting pressure on the species but contributes to more potentially
dangerous human contact with
these snakes.
Black mambas spend their nights in holes in the ground - usually disused
burrows - or hiding deep
among fallen rocks or timber. These hiding places are also fled to by the
snake if it becomes alarmed
and it will attack any creature blocking the path to its hole.
Like all reptiles, the black mamba is cold blooded, and relies on external
heat to maintain its body
temperature. Therefore, it frequently basks in the sun during the day,
either on a low branch or a
rock, but during the summer, the snake may be forced to take cover in its
burrow if it becomes too
hot.
Food and hunting: Black mambas travel quickly across rough ground or along
low tree branches when
hunting. They are able to hold their heads up to 1m above the ground when
striking, and can hold
them 50cm above the ground even when moving. They have very good eyesight
and can strike their
prey - rodents, bats, birds and lizards like lightning, leaving their
powerful venom to finish off the kill.
The venom is injected through two hollow fangs at the front of its mouth
which lie flat until the snake
bites something, at which point small, movable mouth bones erect them. The
venom causes rapid
paralysis. Enzymes in the snake's saliva start to digest the prey before it
even reaches the stomach,
and most prey is digested within a few hours.
Breeding: This takes place in spring and early summer. Males may travel long
distances looking for
females. After mating, the snakes return to their own holes. Females lay
between 10 and 25 eggs,
usually in decaying vegetation. The decomposition of the vegetation gives
off heat, which helps to
warm the eggs and speed up hatching time. The shells of the eggs allow water
and oxygen to reach
the developing embryos.
Black mamba hatchlings are around 51cm long, and greyish-green in colour.
They are independent
immediately and can catch prey the size of a small rat. Within a year, they
reach 2m. Young
mambas are eaten by mongooses, and even adult mambas are eaten by the
secretary bird and larger
species of eagle.
Rodents and small birds comprise most of the diet of this extremely venomous
reptile. It gets a lot of
negative press because its bite is almost 100% fatal to humans who go
untreated (because its venom
is so toxic). But the snake, the largest of the African poisonous reptiles
(and the second largest of
the poisonous snakes in the world) is good at pest control. Rats, mice and
other critters like them
would run rampant were it not for the work of the black mamba and other
rodent hunters.
Dendroaspis polylepis
Black mambas are actually brown in color. They get their name from the
blue-black of the inside of
their mouths, which they display when threatened.
Photograph by George Grall
Black Mamba range Fast Facts
Type: Reptile
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in captivity: 11 years or more
Size: Up to 14 ft (4.3 m)
Weight: Up to 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg)
Did you know? Black mambas use their incredible speed to escape threats, not
to hunt prey.
Black mambas are fast, nervous, lethally venomous, and when threatened,
highly aggressive. They
have been blamed for numerous human deaths, and African myths exaggerate
their capabilities to
legendary proportions. For these reasons, the black mamba is widely
considered the world's deadliest
snake.
Black mambas live in the savannas and rocky hills of southern and eastern
Africa. They are Africa's
longest venomous snake, reaching up to 14 feet (4.5 meters) in length,
although 8.2 feet (2.5
meters) is more the average. They are also among the fastest snakes in the
world, slithering at
speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour (20 kilometers per hour).
They get their name not from their skin color, which tends to be olive to
gray, but rather from the
blue-black color of the inside of their mouth, which they display when
threatened.
Black mambas are shy and will almost always seek to escape when confronted.
However, when
cornered, these snakes will raise their heads, sometimes with a third of
their body off the ground,
spread their cobra-like neck-flap, open their black mouths and hiss. If an
attacker persists, the
mamba will strike not once, but repeatedly, injecting large amounts of
potent neuro- and cardiotoxin
with each strike.
Before the advent of black mamba antivenin, a bite from this fearsome
serpent was 100 percent fatal,
usually within about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, antivenin is still not
widely available in the rural parts
of the mamba's range, and mamba-related deaths remain frequent.
The black mamba has no special conservation status. However, encroachment on
its territory is not
only putting pressure on the species but contributes to more potentially
dangerous human contact with
these snakes.
Black mambas spend their nights in holes in the ground - usually disused
burrows - or hiding deep
among fallen rocks or timber. These hiding places are also fled to by the
snake if it becomes alarmed
and it will attack any creature blocking the path to its hole.
Like all reptiles, the black mamba is cold blooded, and relies on external
heat to maintain its body
temperature. Therefore, it frequently basks in the sun during the day,
either on a low branch or a
rock, but during the summer, the snake may be forced to take cover in its
burrow if it becomes too
hot.
Food and hunting: Black mambas travel quickly across rough ground or along
low tree branches when
hunting. They are able to hold their heads up to 1m above the ground when
striking, and can hold
them 50cm above the ground even when moving. They have very good eyesight
and can strike their
prey - rodents, bats, birds and lizards like lightning, leaving their
powerful venom to finish off the kill.
The venom is injected through two hollow fangs at the front of its mouth
which lie flat until the snake
bites something, at which point small, movable mouth bones erect them. The
venom causes rapid
paralysis. Enzymes in the snake's saliva start to digest the prey before it
even reaches the stomach,
and most prey is digested within a few hours.
Breeding: This takes place in spring and early summer. Males may travel long
distances looking for
females. After mating, the snakes return to their own holes. Females lay
between 10 and 25 eggs,
usually in decaying vegetation. The decomposition of the vegetation gives
off heat, which helps to
warm the eggs and speed up hatching time. The shells of the eggs allow water
and oxygen to reach
the developing embryos.
Black mamba hatchlings are around 51cm long, and greyish-green in colour.
They are independent
immediately and can catch prey the size of a small rat. Within a year, they
reach 2m. Young
mambas are eaten by mongooses, and even adult mambas are eaten by the
secretary bird and larger
species of eagle.
Rodents and small birds comprise most of the diet of this extremely venomous
reptile. It gets a lot of
negative press because its bite is almost 100% fatal to humans who go
untreated (because its venom
is so toxic). But the snake, the largest of the African poisonous reptiles
(and the second largest of
the poisonous snakes in the world) is good at pest control. Rats, mice and
other critters like them
would run rampant were it not for the work of the black mamba and other
rodent hunters.