Department of Vertebrates
Herpetology Collection
BLACK MAMBAS (Dendroaspis polylepis) (Very Dangerous)
This specimen is hardly ever pitch black in colour but the lining of the mouth being dark is where the name has derived from. Of all the African snakes the Black Mamba is the most feared and is known for being aggressive when agitated or confronted and will strike with deadly precision. The outer colour varies between a pale grey-green to a gunmetal blue. The head is also distinctive in being narrowly shaped and having round eyes with round pupils. The snake being neurotoxic causes respiratory failure and leaves the pray paralysed which causes death in 7-15 hours.
The average length of a specimen varies between 2 to 2.5 metres but an exceptional case was recorded of 4.5 metres. This snake has quite a large distribution stretching from Senegal (West Africa) to Somalia in the East down to Pondoland (Port St Johns) including Namibia and Angola. They are absent from Equatorial forests and desert areas. They prefer more open Bushveld / Savanna with an attitude not exceeding 1500 metres.
A batch of 12 to 17 eggs are usually laid but can be as few as 9 or 10 and are oval shaped hatching between 80-90 days. The young are usually dark in colour and measures between 40 to 60 cm in length.