All you need to know about one of the world’s deadliest snakes – the black mamba
Africa’s longest venomous snake is also one of the speediest snakes in the world, capable of moving at roughly 20kph.
The reptile is highly aggressive when threatened and has inspired many a myth. It has a fatal bite and is one of the world’s deadliest snakes.
Where do black mambas live?
Common and widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, black mambas inhabit savannah, forest and rocky hills. Though they are primarily ground-dwelling, they can also be found in trees. Individuals often rest in tree hollows, rock crevices and burrows.
How big are black mambas?
Black mambas are usually between 2 and 2.5 metres long and weigh about 1.6 kg
What do black mambas eat?
Black mambas make long excursions from their preferred holes in search of food. Active during the day, they hunt small mammals such as rodents, bushbabies, hyraxes and bats. They also eat birds, especially nestlings and fledglings, and sometimes even consume other snakes.
How does a black mamba hunt?
The black mamba moves rapidly using lateral undulation (S-shaped loops), and relies on good eyesight as well as the smell-detecting vomeronasal (or Jacobson’s) organ above the roof of its mouth to locate prey. The snake holds its head about 50cm aloft when on the move, and up to 1m when striking.
The mamba’s venom is produced by a modified salivary gland and injected into victims through two fangs, which are up to 0.65cm in length and located at the front of the upper jaw. The fangs are folded into the roof of the mouth when not in use and erected when the snake bites. Enzymes in the saliva start to digest prey (softening the meal) before it is swallowed whole.
How venomous are black mambas?
On average, one bite from a black mamba can deliver between 100 to 120mg of venom, but 400mg has been recorded (10 to 15mg is enough to kill a human). Neurotoxins and cardiotoxins affect the nerves and heart, and victims can die very quickly if antivenom is not administered.
When do black mambas attack?
Black mambas are shy and don’t seek human interaction, but if they feel cornered or threatened, they can be deadly. They raise their heads and sometimes part of their bodies off the ground, and display the insides of their mouths.
How many people do black mambas kill per year?
The number of annual deaths is unknown, as data is limited. Reportedly, deaths caused by black mamba bites remain frequent in rural parts of the snake’s range where antivenom is still not widely available.
How do black mambas breed?
Breeding takes place in spring and early summer. Males are known to travel long distances to find females and engage in wrestling matches with rival males over mating rights.
Females deposit 6 to 17 eggs, usually in decaying vegetation, which gives off heat to incubate the eggs and speed up hatching. Young black mambas hatch in 80 to 90 days and are about 50cm long.
They are immediately independent and able to catch prey the size of a small rat. Within 12 months, the young can grow to 2m in length but must avoid predation by carnivores such as the mongoose. (Adults can be preyed on by large species of eagle.)
Why are they called black mambas?
‘Black’ refers to the inky black colour of the insides of the snakes’ mouths, displayed when threatened. Their skin is brown/grey and they have white bellies. The word ‘mamba’ is derived from the Zulu word imamba and refers to several venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis.
What threats do black mambas face?
The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. It is unlikely that any major threat is impacting black mambas across their full range – the snakes are not facing a significant population decline and are rarely traded. However, human population expansion into black mamba habitat could be considered a threat to the species in future, according to a recent study in Conservation Letters. It calls for immediate policy action targeting our perception and fear of snakes.
How long do black mambas live?
Black mambas usually live for about 11 years
How many species of mamba exist?
The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is one of four species of mamba found in sub-Saharan Africa. The other three are all green and primarily arboreal: namely the eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps), western green mamba (Dendroaspis viridis) and Jameson’s mamba (Dendroaspis jamesoni).
What myths are associated with black mambas?
There are many unfounded stories about the species. Some people believe a huge black mamba “moves like the wind”, roaming South Africa’s Mariepskop mountain. Others say a whirlwind is caused by the snake, and it is rumoured it can balance on the tip of its tail.
One myth describes the black mamba coiling its body before rolling and launching an attack. The most far-fetched tale is of a black mamba waiting in the road to wrap itself round the wheel of car and then biting the driver when they reach their destination.
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