The Black Mamba...

The Black Mamba, as it's name suggests, may lead anyone acknowledging this animal for the first time to think that it is black colored. However, its body is Olive(yellowish green) to brown in color, and the name "black Mamba" refer to the black or dark blue insides of the mouth of the snake, which it displays when threatened.

The black Mamba is found in Africa. It can adapt to many kind of environments and climates. It has been reported in regions such as savannas, forests, swarms, rocky slopes and more. Its range stretch widely in the Central to Eastern Africa, though a few sightings have occurred in the Western Africa also.

The Black Mamba is very much famed in Africa. It is the longest venomous snake of the continent and the second longest in the world, surpassed only by the deadly King Cobra. The venom of this species has been scientifically proven as the fastest acting venom among snakes. If fatal, the one bite from a Black Mamba is enough to kill a Human being in less than thirty minutes. But Black Mamba bites are very rarely not fatal....



These snakes are really shy creatures. They seek to use their incredible speed(which can reach up to 23 km/h) to escape rather than confronting. However, whenever they have been reported cornered by human beings or any other animals, Black Mambas solidified their legacy by displaying a very aggressive defense. They do so after trying in vain to scare away their opponent(by imitating the king cobra, showing the large neck flap and opening their mouth, hissing loudly).

When attacking, they strike repeatedly in ALL directions, releasing toxic venom at each strike. This has given them a widely negative reputation among the locals of Africa. Thus, as humans gets more and more active in Black Mamba territories, there are both more snakebites and snake deaths. Unsurprisingly, Black Mambas attack often without provocation.

These slender snakes are known to have bitten large predators such as lions. They feed on a wide variety of animals, mostly mammals. They bite the prey and if the prey is small, they will hold it until its muscles stops moving(which is quick), then proceed to feed on it. But if the prey is large, black Mambas let the prey go after the first bites. Although Black Mambas are aggressive, they do not lack natural predators, which are predatory birds and mongooses. The latter are resistant to snake toxins.