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Black mambas are actually brown in color. They get their name from the blue-black of the inside of their mouths, which they display when threatened.
Size relative to a 6-ft man
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
Least Concern
At relatively low risk of extinction
Near Threatened
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild
Endangered
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
Critically Endangered
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Extinct in the Wild
Survives only in captivity
Extinct
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity
Data Deficient
Not enough information available to make an assessment
Not Evaluated
No assessment has been made
Stable
Black mambas are fast, nervous, lethally venomous, and when threatened, highly aggressive. They have been blamed for numerous human deaths, and African myths exaggerate their capabilities to legendary proportions. For these reasons, the black mamba is widely considered the world’s deadliest snake.
Black mambas live in the savannas and rocky hills of southern and eastern Africa. They are Africa’s longest venomous snake, reaching up to 14 feet in length, although 8.2 feet is more the average. They are also among the fastest snakes in the world, slithering at speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour.
They get their name not from their skin color, which tends to be olive to gray, but rather from the blue-black color of the inside of their mouth, which they display when threatened.
Black mambas are shy and will almost always seek to escape when confronted. However, when cornered, these snakes will raise their heads, sometimes with a third of their body off the ground, spread their cobra-like neck-flap, open their black mouths, and hiss. If an attacker persists, the mamba will strike not once, but repeatedly, injecting large amounts of potent neuro- and cardiotoxin with each strike.
Before the advent of black mamba antivenin, a bite from this fearsome serpent was almost always fatal, usually within about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, antivenin is still not widely available in the rural parts of the mamba’s range, and mamba-related deaths remain frequent.
Encroachment on the black mamba's territory is not only putting pressure on the species but contributes to more potentially dangerous human contact with these snakes.
It's a behavior rarely observed in the wild: two black mambas entangled in a battle.
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