The author's 9ft. female Black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) photo: E.Wainberg
South Africa (Pondoland, Natal,Transvaal), Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Zaire, East Africa. A subspecies, the Northern Black mamba (D. p. antinori) occurs in Northern Kenya, north-eastern Uganda, Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia. This subspecies differs from the nominate race only in a variation in head-shields and a higher average number of scale rows.
SIZE : Averages 8-9ft., 10-12ft. specimens are not uncommon and the record is
14ft. Males grow larger than females. This is the world's second longest venomous snake
next to the King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah).
APPEARANCE : Long slender elapid with an aptly described 'coffin' shaped head, face
paler than the body with gray or greenish-brown medium size eyes. Mid-body scale count is
23-25 rows with body color generally from olive-brown in the northern/western parts of
it's range to a slate/gunmetal gray in the southern and humid coastal areas. There is
often black speckling along the back half of the body. Belly color is grayish/greenish
white. The young are olive to greenish-gray at hatching, but attain adult coloration at
about 3-4ft. in length. Despite it's common name, it's never actually black but derives
it's name from the color of the inside of it's mouth, which is purple-black and will
gladly show you during it's impressive threat display when angered.
RELATED SPECIES : The Eastern Green mamba (D. angusticeps), Western Green mamba (D.
viridis), and Jameson's mamba (D. jamesoni) are all highly arboreal species with bright
green coloration to a greater or lesser degree, are smaller (ave. 6-7ft.) and have a more
timid disposition (although I also work with D. angusticeps and agree with this, I'm told
that D. jamesoni doesn't take much to anger).
The Black mamba inhabits
lower-altitude areas in savannas, semi-arid bush country, open woodlands and rocky
outcrops. Of the four species of mambas, it is the most terrestrial but will occasionally
ascend trees in search of prey, bask, or to escape predators. As homes they will often
utilize unused termite mounds, tree hollows, rock crevices or mammal burrows, sometimes
using the same home base for years unless unduly disturbed by predators, habitat
destruction or nervy snake collectors! ;-)
An annoyed Black mamba beginning to threat-display. When a mamba behaves this way - freeze! photo: T.Phelps
A truly anti-social reptile
(unlike the green mambas, which are often found in pairs or groups in the trees) , the
Black mamba is shy and extremely nervous, taking flight at the first sign of human
encroachment and rarely allowing an approach of less than 75ft. If cornered or an attempt
to capture it are made, the Black mamba will (when angered, which doesn't take much) give
a threat display as follows: raise the front body and head well off the ground (3-4ft. in
large specimens), spread a flat narrow hood while shaking the head, gaping the mouth
showing the purple-black interior and emitting a long hollow-sounding hiss that is
thoroughly convincing. When confronted with an angry mamba displaying as such, FREEZE! Be
forewarned; unlike most cobras this snake doesn't bluff, and will not hesitate to attack -
usually delivering quick multiple bites while dashing for freedom past the victim. The
very large size attained by these snakes give them the ability to strike from a long way
out and up (4-6ft. away and upper body bites). With patience by the would-be victim, the
mamba will slowly and cautiously retreat, allowing it's escape.
Black mambas are diurnal (active by day), and usually emerge from their homebase (see
Habitat) in the early morning to bask and then forage for prey, which mostly consists of
small mammals such as rats, mice, squirrels, voles, bushbabies; and various small to
medium sized birds (a killed 12 ft. mamba was found to have a parrot in it's stomach, and
another large mamba was witnessed consuming an adult Forest cobra!).
The Black mamba lays between 6 and 17 eggs (averaging 12) usually down moist unused mammal
burrows, and take 90-96 days to hatch with the young measuring 18-24 inches.
The venom of the Black mamba is a highly potent neurotoxin and cardiotoxin with an average adult yield of 100-120 mg. The approx. lethal dose for an average-sized human is 10-15 mg. About 2 full drops is fatal, so it can be appreciated how serious and urgent a bite (or even a scratch from a fang) must be treated. Mambas, along with Taipans and Death adders, have the longest fangs of all elapids, which have generally short fixed fangs. Why mambas evolved with such long fangs is uncertain, but it's presumed to be for penetrating the feathers of birds. Collapse following a mamba bite in under 15 minutes is uncommon, but not unheard of. In most fatal cases, the average time from bite to death is approx. 4 hours. If systemic symptoms appear within 10-15 mins., it can be presumed a lethal dose has been injected. Initial first-aid utilizing 'The Extractor' suction device quickly followed by the pressure bandage/immobilization technique are recommended. For more detailed first-aid and bite management, go to the
Snakebite Emergency Webpage.
Severe envenomations by mambas will often produce a suite of symptoms such as tightening of the chest and throat muscles, drooling caused by gradual paralysis of the facial muscles, slurred speech, drooping eyelids, mental confusion, blurred vision and dilated pupils, flaccid paralysis of all muscle groups and loss of tendon reflex, then respiratory distress. The victim struggles to breathe, the chest feels tight and painful, the lungs eventually stop functioning, convulsions and coma precede death. The cardiotoxin (Dendrotoxins I & K) present in mamba venom causes the heart to beat wildly and erratically. Patients should be closely monitored for possible delayed relapse, even though the treatment and recovery seemed successful. Before the advent of mamba antivenins in the mid-1960's, bites by black mambas were 100% fatal. Antivenin is essential in treating mamba bites, and unless there was little or no venom injected, the victim will probably not survive without it. Much antivenin may be necessary in serious cases, as much as 100ml (approx. 10 vials) or more may be required. Mamba antivenins are available in trivalent specific and polyvalent forms from S.A.I.M.R. in South Africa, Pasteur in France and Behringwerk in Germany.
The information and observations I make here are for info's sake only. I make no recommendation for novices or inexperienced hot keepers to keep this species. On the contrary, mambas should only be kept by institutions or well-seasoned herpetoculturists. I'm offering this info because so little is written on the internet about black mambas. And being one of the only keepers in Canada of this species, I get a lot of questions from other keepers who are as fascinated with them as I am, but would not keep them. It is to the curious herper that this page is intended.
For general info on captive venomous snake maintainance, please refer to my "Hots 101, pts. 1-3" articles here
The author's Black mamba, sleeping quietly
After 12 years of keeping numerous cobras and
a couple of green mambas, I finally decided to take the plunge in keeping what I think to
be one of the ultimate '5 star' venomous snakes - the Black mamba. After listening to the
worrysome views of my herp peers, I quietly reminded them about my handling abilities,
that in 15 years of keeping hot stuff, I've never been nailed (knock on wood). This
includes handling almost everything from pygmy rattlesnakes (Sistrurus ssp.) to a King
cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). Besides, I had always been infatuated with mambas. It
certainly couldn't be any harder to deal with than one particular 8 ft. Forest cobra (Naja
melanoleuca) I had that was verging on insanity. If the cage to this cobra was opened, it
would fly out, hood up 3 ft. off the ground, open it's mouth and hiss loudly - then
literally charge straight at you, chase you around the room and make a purposeful effort
to bite ! Out of the few hundred venomous snakes I've worked with, I've never seen the
likes of that forest cobra. It was a local legend! After one more episode of this
behavior, I promptly made a trapbox.
Last summer I recieved 1 adult female black mamba, which was supposed to be a pair of
juveniles. You can imagine my surprise in preparing cages for two 2-3 ft. juvi's, only to
have an 8 ft. adult come in! After hearing the horror stories about this species for
years, I was expecting a virtual Beelzebub jack-in-the-box to come flying out of the bag.
But considering that the snake had been on three different planes direct from Mozambique,
she was scared, nervous, and simply wanted to hide. Bad tempered for the first week or so,
she soon settled down to fairly quiet, and very inquisitive ways. For a wild caught snake
(I do prefer CB, but the price was right. I refuse to pay $4-500US for a snake that was
bought for half that!), she was in good shape. No noose or grab-stick marks, no scars, a
couple of bent scales here and there, and only 1 (!) large tick, which I carefully removed
soon after arrival. It soon became apparent to me that at certain times this snake could
be unpredictable, but the overall reputation of this species is overblown to a large
degree.
All mambas, regardless of species, must be
provided with large, roomy enclosures. This is to provide adequate roaming room for the
snake (and for you to work with, or make a hasty retreat!). Being active, roaming snakes,
mambas will make good use of a large cage. If placed in a small cage, you risk having
rubbed, raw rostral (snout) scales from incessant pacing and trying to escape. A large
cage gives these nervous snakes a sense of security. A 'decent' minimum size of 6-8' x 3'
x 3' would comfortably house an adult black, or 2-3 green mambas. The more space you give
them, the better. It also should go without saying that cage strength and security are a
top priority!
Cage furnishings should be kept unelaborate, for both workability and safety reasons.
Climbing branches for mambas are a must, but must be securely attached to the floor/sides,
and not thin, delicate or to numerous/complicated. If, for whatever necessary reason you
must handle or retreve the snake from a thick or complicated branch setup, you'll have a
very difficult and potentially dangerous situation as the snake resists and gets
tangled-up (and not to mention more & more annoyed at all the constant prodding and
hooking!).
I feel utilizing a hidebox/ trapbox for day-to-day maintainence of mambas is essential.
Not only for the obvious safety reasons, but it's less stressful for both the snake and
keeper. I know I can handle the animal if I have to, but I'd rather not have the risk and
hassle of chasing a mamba around my snakeroom every 2-3 days to simply clean the cage! By
using trapboxes for all my large or very aggressive elapids, I get safety, speed of
cleaning, and the joy of being able to keep and observe these magnificent reptiles.
Placement of the trapbox is, in most cases, critical with mambas. Mambas have a preferance
for a semi-permanent 'home' or shelter, and will take to the hidebox easily. Find a
suitable spot towards the back of the cage for it, and fasten it to the cage. And if you
can help it, don't move it or rearrange the cage constantly. Unlike cobras, which don't
seem to care where anything is placed, mambas get stressed and annoyed with any
environment change. Strangely, considering how normally nervous and shy mambas are,
occasionally this particular black mamba will stubbornly refuse to go in it's trapbox for
cleaning. Acutely aware of the proceedure, this bold and very intelligent snake will
simply stand it's ground in front of the box and not turn it's back on you. No matter how
gently persuaded, she stubbornly stays put! The green mambas do not share this problem.
They are always co-operative.
Substrate is another consideration. There are pros and cons to any choice. Newspaper is
cheap, sanitary and quick cleaning. But it suffers from unattractiveness and is possible
for the mamba to screw it up and hide under the paper, leaving you unsafely unsure if the
snake is in the box - or under the paper. Oops! Personally, I use a 2" thick bed of
cypress mulch in all my cages, except for juveniles. It's relatively cheap, feels good to
the snake, and looks nice. I simply scoop feces out when seen (which is a lot with
elapids!), and do an overall change every 6-8wks, or when it starts to smell - whichever
comes first.
Temperatures suitable for cobras are fine for mambas. Humidity increases during shedding
are a must. Like most elapids, mambas are prone to bad sheds if kept too dry (especially
around the neck area), but aren't as prone to retained eyecaps as say, Asian cobras. The
mulch substrate also helps retain this humidity level when sprayed or soaked. Since mambas
do not hibernate, I'm sure female ovulation and breeding take place with a period of
shortened daylength, cooler temperatures and very high humidity (i.e.- simulated rainy
season).
Like most cobras, black mambas are truly
rodent-eating machines! Mambas prefer numerous smaller-sized items over one large,
stuffing meal. Feeding time is when one must be on their toes, for like most snakes, once
the scent of prey is detected - anything that moves is potential game. (no pun intended!)
The 'feed frenzy' excitement exibited by cobras is also seen with black mambas, but not
with the same huffy, frantic and almost clumsy way that cobras do. Mambas like to chase
fast-moving prey also, but they're more cool and calculating about executing the prey.
None of the cobra's wrestling and chewing matches. The mamba simply rushes up to the
intended prey, pauses while hovering over it, and gives it an almost delicate little
'nip'. The long fangs and efficient venom delivery ensures that this is enough. Watching
this snake feed for the first time I was given a whole new meaning to the word 'respect'.
Considering that rats (it's main diet here, 3 med./wk) are tough and fairly resistant to
venoms, this snake, along with cascabels and saw-scale vipers, produced the fastest kill
times I've ever seen. Average time from bite to death was 5 seconds! And this is for
half-grown rats. Yikes! Hot stuff!
While we're on the subject of feeding, I would like to point out that I prefer - and have-
all my snakes (except Cerastes) feeding on pre-killed prey. Since this was a wild-caught
mamba, at first she would not touch dead prey. She would simply smell it, and promply turn
her nose up at it. So for the first little while she got live, untill she was more
familiar and comfortable with the surroundings and proceedure. It took about 2 months of
extremely careful and cautious prey-shaking and manipulating using 48" Pilstrom
tongs, after which she soon began feeding this way regularly. From there, the progression
to simply feeding on dead prey directly from the substrate was a matter of 2-3 weeks.
The black mamba, like most elapids, has a voracious appetite. So far, this snake has eaten
a 2:1 ratio of rats over even the cobras (or maybe it's just favortism ;->). This snake
also has the fastest metabolism I've ever seen. Prey is fully digested and excreted within
36 hrs! Makes for a lot of cage cleaning.
Needless to say, the handling of black mambas
is, at best, precarious. For the first 1-2 weeks after her arrival, she was every bit the
text-book-bad black mamba. Merely entering the snakeroom would send her into the typical
and intimidating threat display. And even moving closer towards the cage would cause her
more alarm and she would begin to strike the glass. Fearing physical damage, I would keep
her cage covered while I went about my work. Obviously, within the cage, the mamba
effectively felt cornered. And a scared, cornered black mamba is just about the worst
snake anyone can possibly deal with. For the first while, I made absolutely no attempt to
handle the snake while she was behaving as such. I'm a competent and confident handler,
but I'm not going to push my luck unnecessarily. Mambas are very intelligent snakes, and
soon became quite laid-back, only becoming upset if you turned on the lights in the middle
of the night, or prevented it from going in the trapbox (when it actually wanted to go
in!).
What to expect when handling black mambas? Within the confines of a room? You better be
good and quick with snake hooks or possibly a grabstick! Seriously, hooks? Forget it! A
snake hook is just another tree branch to it, and far too big, fast and agile to control
with them. Not to mention you'll *definitely* be chasing the snake around the room for
awhile! The mamba is one of the few snakes that must be 'tailed' gently, or the use of a
grabstick if the snake spooks and gets out of control. From the cage, to the holding bin-
pronto! I don't like grabs as a general rule. I feel they're a bit brutal. I use them
mostly for offering food, picking up or moving objects in the cage. But for some snakes, a
grab may be necessary. Such snakes may include adults of mambas, taipans, king cobras,
forest cobras and tree cobras. The only viperid I've *ever* had to use a grab on was
Bothrops atrox (Fer-de-lance), which can be horrible snakes when riled-up. Anyway,
handling the snake is only done as a necessity, utilizing the trap-box always. Unless it's
sick and needs medication - don't touch it.
Some fellow herpers ask "what the hell do you want such a dangerous, ugly snake like that for?". My fondness for black mambas is somewhat difficult to explain. I like certain snakes because they have *personality*, despite their coloration. And black mambas certainly are characters! As far as looks go, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think all mambas are beautiful. From the freshly-shed velvety sheen, to the shape and look of their heads, to the speed and extreme grace they show when gliding effortlessly through the branches. I even appreciate the bold, take-no-shit attitude displayed by it. I love many kinds of snakes, 'ugly' or colorful, for many different reasons. But the four species of mambas, and especially the black, will always hold a special place in my herpetological heart.