Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis · Elapidae
Also called: Black-mouthed Mamba
Africa's most feared snake — fast, alert and armed with rapid-acting neurotoxic venom. The name comes from the inky-black inside of its mouth, not its body color.
What the Black Mamba looks like
How to identify it
- 1Long, slim gray to olive-brown body (not actually black)
- 2Coffin-shaped head and a black mouth lining it gapes when threatened
- 3Can lift a third of its body off the ground
- 4Among the fastest snakes on earth
Snakes it's confused with
Mambas are larger, faster, and gape a black mouth.
Behavior & danger to humans
Usually flees, but if cornered it strikes repeatedly with deadly venom.
⚠️ Danger: Potentially lethal within hours. A bite is an extreme emergency requiring antivenom.
Related snakes
VenomousEastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus
The largest venomous snake in North America and arguably the most dangerous. Its hemotoxic venom destroys tissue and blood cells, and a defensive bite is a medical emergency.
VenomousCopperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
Responsible for more venomous snakebites than any other US species, but its bite is rarely fatal. Excellent camouflage in leaf litter leads to surprise encounters.
VenomousCottonmouth (Water Moccasin)
Agkistrodon piscivorus
A semi-aquatic pit viper named for the white interior of its mouth, which it gapes as a warning. The only venomous water snake in North America.
VenomousEastern Coral Snake
Micrurus fulvius
A relative of cobras with potent neurotoxic venom. Famous for the rhyme 'red touches yellow, kill a fellow' that separates it from harmless mimics.