The Black Mamba


The Black Mamba

The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is a species of highly venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. First formally described by Albert Günther in 1864, it is the second-longest venomous snake after the king cobra; mature specimens generally exceed 2 m (6 ft 7 in) and commonly grow to 3 m (9.8 ft). Specimens of 4.3 to 4.5 m (14 to 15 ft) have been reported. Its skin colour varies from grey to dark brown. Despite the common name, the skin of a black mamba is not black, but rather describes the inside of its mouth, which it displays when feeling threatened.

The species is both terrestrial (ground-living) and arboreal (tree-living); it inhabits savannah, woodland, rocky slopes and in some regions, dense forest.. Over suitable surfaces, it can move at speeds up to 16 km/h (10 mph) for short distances. 

In a threat display, the black mamba is the most feared snake in Africa because of its size, aggression, venom toxicity and speed of onset of symptoms following envenomation,and is classified as a snake of medical importance by the World Health The snake tends to bite repeatedly and Its bite can deliver about 100–120 mg of venom on average; the maximum recorded dose is 400 mg.Bites were often fatal before antivenom was widely available.Although it has an aggressive reputation, the black mamba is generally shy and nervous, and it will use its incredible speed to escape threats. However, if disturbed or cornered, the snake may rear up and threaten with an open mouth and a slightly expanded or flattened neck (or hood) before striking; once a black mamba attacks, it will bite its victim repeatedly. Its extremely toxicvenom—two drops of which will reportedly kill most humans—attacks both the nervous systemand the heart. In the wild, black mambas will typically live at least 11 years, while those in captivity have life spans of more than 20 years. 

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