Black mamba is considering one of the most dangerous and feared snake of the world. It is almost found in all Africa. Black mamba is the largest Africa’s venomous and second longest venomous snake in the world. On the first number longest venomous snake is king cobra which is also extremely dangerous.

Size and Texture

Black mamba is quite strong and mostly of 2.5 meters but they can grow up to 4.5 meters but it is in very rare cases. They are metal grey, dark olive , olive green or somewhat like this in  color but not due to its skin color the mouth of the black mamba is black inside  due to this appearance it is called black mamba. As time pass the color of mamba becomes dark from light. Some black mambas have also light banding around their body.

Image source

Lifestyle:                 

Black mamba lives in permanent lair and lives there for very long time if not bother by something. It is also seem that they have permanent basking spots which they visit daily for enjoying the sun or waiting for prey. Black mamba mostly live on hollow trees they only climb to trees for hunting down birds. But mostly they prey small mammals like rats, squirrels and rodents etc. Black mamba bite ground animals and then let them to go away until they die after this he attempt to eat, but they usually don’t bite birds instead hold it in his mouth.

 Photo:Tad 20D

Protection Against Enemy

Black mamba when sense danger they run off with the speed of 13 to 26 km/h to hide himself. This make black mamba one of the fastest snake and deadliest snake in the world .But they don’t run with this speed for prey. If they are still bothering they counter attack on enemy and can strike up to 12 times in a row. Only a single bite can inject that much venom which is enough for killing 10 to 25 men.

When black mamba is in biting position it raise one third of his body which allows it to become four feet and hisses very loudly to show his black mouth and fangs, with which enemy became in fear.

Venom  

Black mamba venom is one of the fastest acting venom in the world, which contain neurotoxins and cardiotoxins and also including calciseptine. They mostly deliver 100 to 120 mg of venom but they have the ability to inject 250 mg of venom. And only 10 to 15 mg of venom is enough for killing adult human. The venom block neuromuscular junction which blocks every signal from the brain as a result the victim experience a tingling sensation in the mouth, confusion, fever, excessive salvation and foaming of the mouth and nose, losing of muscle control and eventually the prey paralyzed due to suffocation of paralyzing the muscle of respiratory system and it fall into coma and after this to death. In the past the mortality rate was 100% but the development in Africa has now decreased to 75%.The prey death can result any time in 3 hours.

Photo:Guenter Leitenbauer

Habitat     

Black mamba mostly live in bushes and small trees in grasslands, but they can also survive in houses.

  Photo:Rod Patterson

Black mamba like those places where pests are found in great amount due to this black mamba did great role in regulating pests. Black mamba can survive up to 12 years.

Breeding

Black mamba breed in between spring and summer and can lay up to 10 to 25 eggs. Female mamba must wait 55 days before laying eggs. The female offspring is not bigger then male offspring. After the eggs baby black mambas arises and the life cycle of black mamba remain continuous.

Photo:David Bygott

 If you like this article then not to miss my other article about King cobra.