The widely feared Black Mamba
Black Mambas are known to the scientific community as “Dendroaspis polylepis.” A native of eastern Africa, the snake can be found in a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, forests and swamps. Most of these reptiles grow to a length between 8 and 10 feet (2.5 to 3 meters) and weigh around 12 lbs. (5.5 kg.) They subsist on a diet of birds, small mammals, and other snakes.
The snake’s venom contains dendrotoxins, a class of neurotoxin unique to Black Mambas. Once in the bloodstream, these toxins block potassium channels inside neurons, preventing nerves from activating muscle tissue. This venom is the fastest acting of any known snake species: Without swift antivenom treatment, a poisoned bite is guaranteed to cause death by cardiac arrest, often within an hour of the attack.
When hunting, the snake will quickly crawl up to an animal, pause long enough that the prey loses interest in any motion it may have detected. The snake will inject poison on the first strike, and wait for it to slow down the victim’s movements. If the animal is still active, the snake will finish it off with a quick succession of non-venomous strikes. The Mamba will then wait for the venom to take full effect before eating the now dead animal.
Most attacks on humans occur on sugar plantations where the snakes like to climb on top of the cane to sun themselves. When threatened, the snake will not hesitate to make multiple strikes. Killing a Black Mamba can be exceedingly difficult, as they have very quick reactions and have been known to crawl along the ground at speeds up to 14 mph, faster than any other land snake in the world.
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