In East Africa there are about 200 species of snake. Most of them are harmless or very rare. Basically there are 6 poisonous snakes in Uganda that can be fatal. Black mamba or Dendroaspis polylepis is a slender and shy, but unpredictable and powerful snake with colors varying from grey to dark brown. The inside of the mouth is black, which is why it is called black mamba. In Uganda they are very rare (or maybe even non-existent). It is mainly found on the ground, but can also be found in trees. It has the ability to lift the head of the ground, so when it strikes, it bites at knee-height. The symptoms of a poisonous bite are similar to that of the Jameson’s mamba.
The black mamba is a venomous snake endemic to parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Skin colour varies from grey to dark brown. Juvenile black mambas tend to be lighter in color than adults and darken with age.
The fastest land snake in the world is the aggressive black mamba found in the southern part of tropical Africa. Black mambas are very capable hunters, fitted with deadly venom and speedy movements, reaching speeds of at least 11 km/h (6.8 mph) and up to 20 km/h (12.4 mph).
Despite its name, black mambas aren’t black. They’re gray. The name comes from the color of the inside of its mouth – something it will gladly show you while it threatens you, if provoked. They can grow up to 14 feet (4.3 meters) long, which is another reason why this reptile isn’t something to mess with. The snake races along with its head held high and about one-third of its body off the ground. That can be up to four feet (1.2 meters) off the ground – about chin level for some people. The black mamba is the most respected and feared snake in Africa.
Black mamba’s are aggressive snakes that spring up to strike. Black mambas also go after birds – and they’re good at it. One mamba even had a parrot inside its stomach. After biting their prey, black mambas leave it to die. The venom is strong enough to kill prey in a matter of minutes so the snakes don’t have to wait long for their meal. For humans, the wait could be up to four hours till death. Black mambas devour their food whole. They can fit food up to four times the size of their head into their mouth and will even dislocate their lower jaw in order to cram more food in.
Without treatment, the death rate from a black mamba bite is almost 100 percent. Although two drops of venom from a black mamba are enough to kill a human (they are one of the most poisonous snakes in the world), mambas don’t usually attack humans. They should still be left alone – they are considered one of the most dangerous snakes in the world.
Although most mamba species are tree-dwelling snakes, the black mamba is not generally arboreal, preferring lairs in terrestrial habitats in a range of terrains. These include savannah, woodlands, rocky slopes and in some regions dense forest. It is diurnal and chiefly an ambush predator, known to prey on hyrax, bushbabies and other small mammals as well as birds. It is also a pursuit predator; in this it resembles some other long, speedy, highly-venomous species with well-developed vision. Over suitable surfaces it is possibly the speediest species of snake, capable of at least 11 km/h (6.8 mph) over short distances. Adult mambas have few natural predators.
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