📷 Bill Love/Blue Chameleon Ventures · CC BY-SA 3.0
📷 TimVickers
📷 Gerhardt Nieuwoudt
IUCN: Least Concern
Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
KingdomAnimalia›PhylumChordata›ClassReptilia›OrderSquamata›FamilyElapidae›GenusDendroaspis
About
Despite the name, the black mamba is not black at all: its scales range from olive to gunmetal gray, while the name refers to the inky lining of its mouth, which it gapes in warning. This is one of the longest venomous snakes on Earth and one of the fastest, gliding over open ground at reported speeds up to about 16–19 km/h. Its venom is delivered in long, hollow fangs and acts on the nervous system and heart, which is why the species commands such deep respect across Africa. In truth, mambas avoid people and strike only when cornered or threatened.
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Savannas, rocky hillsides, open woodlands, and scrub
🍃Diet Small mammals and birds, mainly rodents, hyraxes, and bushbabies
📏Size & Weight Typically 2–3 m; can exceed 4.3 m
•Weight About 1.6–3.2 kg
⏳Lifespan Estimated 11–20 years in the wild
🗺Range Sub-Saharan Africa, from Ethiopia to South Africa
ReptileSnake
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Savannas, rocky hillsides, open woodlands, and scrub
🍃Diet Small mammals and birds, mainly rodents, hyraxes, and bushbabies
📏Size & Weight Typically 2–3 m; can exceed 4.3 m
•Weight About 1.6–3.2 kg
⏳Lifespan Estimated 11–20 years in the wild
🗺Range Sub-Saharan Africa, from Ethiopia to South Africa
Photo Credits
#1Bill Love/Blue Chameleon Ventures · CC BY-SA 3.0
#2TimVickers · Public domain
#3Gerhardt Nieuwoudt · CC BY-SA 1.0
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