The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), also called thecommon black mamba or black-mouthed mamba, is the longestvenomous snake inAfrica, averaging around 2.5 to 3.2 m (8.2 to 10 ft) in length, and sometimes growing to lengths of 4.45m (14.6 ft).It is named for the black colour of the inside of the mouth rather than the colour of its scales which varies from dull yellowish-green to a gun-metal grey. It is also the fastest snake in the world, capable of moving at 4.32 to 5.4 metres per second (16–20 km/h, 10–12mph).[6]The black mamba has a reputation for being very aggressive, but it usually attempts to flee from humans like most snakes, unless it is threatened.[7]Without rapid and vigorousantivenomtherapy, a bite from a black mamba is almost always fatal.

Taxonomy

The black mamba was first described in 1864 byAlbert Günther, a German-born Britishzoologist,ichthyologist, and herpetologist. Soon after, a subspecies was identified,Dendroaspis polylepis antinorii(Peters, 1873), but this is no longer accepted as distinct. The genus and species name are derived from Ancient Greek words –Dendroaspis meaning "tree asp" (dendro is "tree", while aspis is "asp" which is understood to mean a "venomous snake") and polylepis, "many scaled", from poly "many" and lepis "scales". The name "black mamba" is given to the snake not because of its body colour but because of the ink-black colouration of the inside of its mouth, which it displays when threatened. In 1896, Boulenger combined the species (Dendroaspis polylepis) as a whole with the eastern green mamba,Dendroaspis angusticeps, and they were considered a single species from 1896 until 1946.[13]

It is one of four species in the African snake genus Dendroaspis that are known as mambas.[14]

Description

The head and upper part of a relatively young black mamba's body

The adult black mamba's back skin colour is olive, brownish, gray, or sometimes khaki. A young snake is lighter, but not light enough to be confused with the different species of green mamba. Its underbody is cream-coloured, sometimes blended with green or yellow.[5] Dark spots or blotches may speckle the back half of the body, and some individuals have alternating dark and light scales near the posterior, giving the impression of lateral bars. The inside of the mouth is dark blue to inky black. The head is large but narrow and elongated, with the shape of a coffin.[15][16] It is a proteroglyphous snake, meaning it has immovable, fixed fangs at the front of the maxilla. The eyes are dark brown to black, with a silvery-white to yellow edge on the pupils.[16] These snakes are strong but slender in body: adult specimens are 2.5 to 3 m (8.2 to 9.8 ft) in length on average, but specimens measuring 3.1 to 3.75 m (10 to 12.3 ft) are relatively common, and some specimens have reached lengths of 4.3 to 4.5 m (14 to 15 ft).[16][17]The longest scientifically measured, wild-caught black mamba recorded was 4.48 metres (14.7ft) long, found in Zimbabwe.Adult black mambas' slender but powerful body can typically weigh from 1.6 to 3.1 kg (3.5 to 6.8 lb).There is no real sexual dimorphism, and both male and female snakes of this species have a similar appearance and tend to be similar in size. The species is the second-longest venomous snake in the world, exceeded in length only by the king cobra.Information regarding the lifespan of snakes in the wild is sparse; the longest recorded lifespan of a captive black mamba is 14 years, but actual maximum lifespans could be much greater.As they age, their colouration tends to get darker.