Black Mamba

Just some info about these nice snakeys
BLACK MAMBA (Dendroaspis polylepis)

It is classified as Africa’s legendary snake because of the great stories told about it by the big African explorers, hunters and bush enthusiasts over the centuries. The legend of the black mamba is one of terror and ultimate death. This is an old-age view and one that we must put out of our minds. Stories of the deadliest and most venomous snake in the country chasing people and rearing up to vehicles trying to bite them through the window are all too common and good ear candy, but far from the truth.
To clear up some of the tall tales we should start with the most common. The black mamba is not black. The name is derived from the manner in which the snake purposefully defends itself by providing the attacker with a warning signal and gaping open its mouth revealing the dark black interior of the gums. This blatant warning together with loud hissing is almost always performed before the snake decides that a bite will be its last line of defence. 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.
It is not the most venomous snake in South Africa, in fact it is the boomslang that takes first place. It contains, drop for drop, the most potent venom of all snakes in Africa and yet fatal effects of the venom will only occur approximately four days after the bite.
So why then do humans react so quickly to mamba venom? It all comes down to the volume or amount of venom transmitted in an average bite. The boomslang injects a microscopic amount on average whereas the mamba can inject a millilitre or more. This explains the quicker reaction time of a mambas venom on the system. The type of venom injected also plays a role.
The mamba has what we call neurotoxic venom. It attacks the nervous system. Smaller muscles such as the face are affected first. The person will salivate and fumble around as if drunk.
Eventually he/she will have trouble breathing as the diaphragm muscle is paralysed and the victim will suffocate. This effect of the venom allows for successful first aid as you can keep a person alive by performing CPR and heart massage until you can get to a hospital.
This all sounds horrific, but survivors of neurotoxic bites say that the whole ordeal is actually not painful at all. The actual bite in many cases is not even felt because of the mamba’s small needle like front fixed fangs and the neurotoxin only produces a "pins and needles" irritation at the site of the bite, unlike the extremely painful cytotoxin of the puff adder. One is said to go into an euphoric state before one loses consciousness and will have trouble breathing.
Therefore one never feels any pain. Some of the mamba victims say that they would not mind dying in this way because of the quiet, non-painful effect of the venom.
The shock of being bitten by such a snake will drastically effect how the body will cope. The calmer the person stays during the incident, the less of an effect the venom will have. One must also remember that a snakebite is extremely uncommon and the chance that you will die from such a bite these days is also unlikely.
A simple crepe bandage from the site up towards the centre of the body and lots of composure will save your life. Antivenom is not an in-the-field treatment anymore. This is reserved as a hospital treatment because of the complications that antivenom has on over 50 per cent of the general public.
A mamba does not have the brain capacity or an accurate-enough eyesight to single out a person sitting in a vehicle. A mamba crossing the road consciously knows that the area from where it just came was safe because it had just passed there with no ill effect, but is not confident enough that the area in front of it where it is planning to go is safe. So when it is disturbed halfway across the road by a vehicle, its first line of defence is to flee. It automatically rears up turning its body in a horseshoe shaped panic to get back to where it just came from. The average size of a black mamba is approximately two and a half metres, so a rapid u-turn so high off the ground looks like a deliberate attack at the window of the vehicle.
It is in fact just trying to save its own life. The snake sees the entire vehicle as a huge object endangering its life. If under certain circumstances the animal is not quick enough to get out of the way it will stand its ground and even lunge out at the attacking object.
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.
Sources
Lowvelder Correspondent
Department of Vertebrates
Herpetology Collection

You "hot" lovers have my respect!

Never handled one myself yet, but looking forward to it!

RESPECT......RESPECT..... and........ More RESPECT..... for the King of SA snakes.
One of my beauties.

Another pic.

Respect and fear!

nice wouldn't want one myself

Snakes Incorporated wrote:

My forest frightens me sometimes but those black chaps scare me.

Snakes Inc, I dont know hey, remeber at first I said I wouldnt touch a puffy, but then I have, and Im liking it, I almost crapped my pants when you whipped out a Cobra, but now Im liking them, so Im reckoning my time for a mamba will come. Now you wanna know what scares the out of me, a freaking HUGE crotalus!

Mr G awsome Mamba! Much respect to a snake that can look me in the eye!

My problem is that I have been working with Cape Cobra for so long I get over confident and think I am bullet proof.



Very bad perception for me to have, me thinks. Black Mamba and me have not been that cuddly and Id like to keep it that way.

Snakes Incorporated wrote:

My problem is that I have been working with Cape Cobra for so long I get over confident and think I am bullet proof.

Very bad perception for me to have, me thinks. Black Mamba and me have not been that cuddly and Id like to keep it that way.

Ja, Mr B Mamba is something else, so is Sir Snouted! and Lord Forrest, not even to mention Lady Puffy.LoL youve got to love our snakes here, and Id swear their mission is to put holes in you!

Snakes Incorporated wrote:

My problem is that I have been working with Cape Cobra for so long I get over confident and think I am bullet proof.

Just remember that even bullet proof vests are susceptible to teflon tipped bullets.