The black mamba is a snake that lives in the African equatorial forests. You can meet her on the southeast coast of Africa (more often in the south of the continent, in the latitudes of Lake Titicaca). She lives everywhere except Namibia and South Africa. She managed to adapt to all climatic zones. This savannah, and forests, and rocks, and swamps.
Man has captured a huge part of the space for the development of agriculture. For this reason, snakes are often forced to settle in the fields, in particular, among reed plantings. Sometimes they bask in the sun, climbing to its top.
One individual weighs about 1.5 kg, and its body length reaches 4 meters. The mamba snake has a thin body, an elongated head, rather large dark eyes with a round pupil. The color may be brownish gray or dark steel. The abdomen is usually lighter than the back, gray-white or yellowish. The internal cavity of the open mouth of the mamba is always dark in color. The black tongue of the snake accepts external information, and the poisonous immovable upper fangs are a formidable weapon of the asp. Teeth are not dangerous only for mongooses, because the black mamba avoids and is very afraid of these small fearless animals. She enjoys crawling through bushes and trees. However, other related breeds of snakes do this more often. Usually masked among foliage and branches, where it is not visible at all.
Black mamba is one of the most poisonous breeds, but it does not attack people, except for self-defense. Aggression can cause any sudden movement of the legs or arms, as well as loud unexpected sounds.
Features of nutrition, habitat and reproduction
The snake eats rodents, lizards and birds. The selected victim is attacked instantly, inflicting a poisonous bite. Mamba is an aggressive and rapid predator. She is able to develop a high speed when moving, reaching 19 km / h. Such amazing data are inherent only to her, because the black mamba is considered the record holder (in speed of movement). With this ability, snakes usually chase a victim, not just wait. The way of life at the aspid is solitary, settles mainly in the hollows of trees and crevices of rocks.
At the end of May and the first decade of June, they have a mating season. The males have a rule - do not bite when they are fighting for the female. During the battle, their bodies intertwine, hitting each other with their heads, the opponents try to push the opponent to the ground. The female chooses the winner and after a certain time lays up to 17 eggs. After only 40 days (maximum), snakes appear, the length of which is only 50 cm. The kids are quite independent, but the killer and hunter program is laid down in them already at birth. A newborn black mamba can get food. Her color is green with an olive tint, although until the moment when the young individual reaches maturity, she will change color and shed many more times.
Under the influence of deadly snake venom on humans and animals, paralysis of the circulatory and central system occurs.
Related species - mamba green and narrow-headed.
In vivo, the snake lives about 20 years.
Belongs to the class of reptiles, squamous order, the family of aspids, the genus of mamba, the species - black mamba.