Black Mamba - Dendroaspis
angusticeps
The Black mamba is a large,
streamlined snake with a narrow, coffin-shaped head and smooth scales
in 23-25 oblique rows. The back is uniform gunmetal to olive-brown,
but never really black; the belly is pale grey-green, sometimes
with dark blotches, and the mouth lining is black.
These active, terrestrial snakes eat
birds and small mammals (e.g. rats and dassies). Prey is pursued
and stabbed with the fangs until it collapses from the venom. Digestion
is rapid. The black mamba is territorial, having a favoured home
in a termite nest, a hollow log or a rock crevice. If disturbed,
it will retreat unless cornered. It is confident in defence; it
rears the front third of its body, spreads a narrow hood and gapes
the mouth, revealing the black lining. It will bite readily and
often. Its hollow "hiss" is best heeded - if you step
back, the snake will also retreat. The venom is neurotoxic and cardiotoxic.
The venom yield is 100-400 mg; 10-15 mg is fatal in humans. A bite
from this snake is extremely serious, and requires large volumes
of antivenom (up to 10 ampoules) to counteract the venom. The victim
may be fully conscious, but all the muscles are paralyzed; death
from respiratory failure usually occurs in 7-15 hours. In spring,
males fight by raising and intertwining their bodies; this combat
is often mistaken for mating.
The female lays 12-14 large eggs (70
x 35 mm) in termite nests, etc. These hatch in 80-90 days. The young
measure up to 600 mm; growth is rapid, and a black mamba may reach
200 cm in length in its first year.
They are mostly found in the
savannah and open coastal bush, usually below 1,500 m. In Botswana
black mamba is found in most places except the Kalahari Desert.
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