Terrifying Facts About Black Mamba: The World's Deadliest Snake

The Black Mamba, also known as Dendroaspis polylepis, is an extremely venomous snake from the Elapidae family. It is the second-longest venomous snake, following the King Cobra.

But despite its reputation as a powerful and violent species, the black mamba only attacks humans when threatened or trapped.

Most Feared Snake

The Black Mamba is Africa's most feared snake because of its size, ferocity, venom toxicity, and rapid onset of symptoms after envenomation, and the World Health Organization classifies it as a snake of medical importance.

Between 1957 and 1979, a survey in South Africa identified 2553 poisonous snakebite cases, 75 of which were proven to be caused by black mamba.

A mamba-specific anti-venom was first introduced in 1962, followed by a completely polyvalent anti-venom in 1971.

Unlike many venomous snake species, black mamba venom lacks protease enzymes. Its bites rarely produce local edema or necrosis, with the only initial sign being a tingling sensation in the bite location.

The snake bites repeatedly and then let go, resulting in many puncture wounds. Its bite can give between 100 and 120 milligrams of venom on average; the highest recorded dose is 400 milligrams.

When administered intravenously, the mouse median lethal dosage (LD50) was found to be between 0.32 and 0.33 mg/kg. Bites were typically lethal until anti-venom became widely available.

The venom is mainly neurotoxic, and symptoms typically appear within 10 minutes. Early neurological indicators of severe envenomation include a metallic taste, drooping eyelids (ptosis), and gradually developing bulbar palsy.

Humans can fall within 45 minutes after being bitten by a black mamba. Without proper anti-venom treatment, symptoms usually escalate to respiratory failure, which causes cardiovascular collapse and death. This normally takes 7 to 15 hours.

Least Concern Species

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the black mamba is locally common and widespread throughout its range, but no global population estimate is available.

The IUCN Red List currently classifies this species as Least Concern (LC), and its numbers remain constant.

This mamba species, associated with the African wilderness, has a diversified and large home range across the continent.

This range is predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa, extending from the continent's southeastern region to the Horn of Africa and as far west as Namibia and Angola.

This widespread range demonstrates the snake's adaptability to a variety of situations.

Savannas, rocky slopes, lowland forests, and open woods are the most common habitats for black mambas. These places provide ample sunshine for sunbathing and protection in rock crevices, termite mounds, or burrows, which are frequently abandoned by other animals.

Black mambas also play a vital ecological role in their area by controlling the populations of tiny rodents that they prey on.

They mostly eat tiny vertebrates like birds, particularly nestlings and fledglings, as well as small mammals including mice, bats, hyraxes, and bushbabies. They prefer warm-blooded prey, but will eat other snakes.

The black mamba is diurnal, therefore, hunting usually takes place throughout the day. It uses its strong sense of sight and smell to locate prey. It strikes quickly when it sees a possible meal, injecting a strong neurotoxic venom.

This poison immediately immobilizes the prey, resulting in a fast death. The snake then consumes its food whole, usually beginning with the head, thanks to its flexible jaws that can open wide to accommodate enormous meals.