One of the 2 mambas on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Elapidae
Dendroaspis polylepis
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
Despite its name it is not black: the name comes from the inside of its mouth, an ink-black colour it shows as a warning before it strikes.
Weight
30.8 kg on average
Size
2 m – 3 m
Life expectancy
11 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.
Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info) · Animal Spot · Animal Diversity Web · Animal Kingdom · A-Z Animals · Saint Louis Zoo · PMC (envenomation case report)
Best time: All year round in savannah and rocky country of eastern and southern Africa, by day; it shelters in termite mounds, tree hollows and abandoned burrows.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 55.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Black Mamba — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Based on what we already know about black mamba.
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
