Quick Take
- Its body works like a series of tiny launch pads, which is exactly what makes it so hard to outrun. Discover how it moves →
- A single bite can kill, and your behavior in those first seconds determines whether it ever gets that far. Understand the venom risk →
- Black mambas have a fearsome reputation, but their default reaction to humans might surprise you. Explore its true behavior →
Black mambas have a reputation for being fast. If you want to know just how quickly they can move, check out this YouTube clip. The snake races across the grass with impressive speed. However, swiftness is not all that this awesome reptile has to offer.
Black Mamba Movement Explained
These snakes live in sub-Saharan areas of South and East Africa. They prefer wooded savannah, rocky hills, or riverine forests with rocks or downed trees that provide cover. Strangely enough, black mambas (Dendroaspis Polylepis) are not actually black! They can be olive, brownish, gray, or sometimes khaki in color, but their underbody is cream. Dark spots or blotches may speckle the back half of the body. Some can be 9 feet long.
Black mambas are one of the fastest land snakes on the planet. They can reach an estimated 10-12 mph over short distances. The snakes propel themselves forward using a move called lateral undulation, making the ‘S’ shape that you can see so clearly in the clip. They push their body forward using their muscular coils. These snakes also have special scales that create friction against the ground, using any surface feature as a mini-launch pad.
The mamba has evolved this lightning speed to catch prey, which are mainly rodents and squirrels. These guys can move fast, so the snake needs to as well! Younger black mambas are also hunted by birds of prey, crocodiles, and jackals, so they need speed to escape.
Should You Be Scared of Mambas?
These amazing reptiles are one of the most dangerous snake species in the world and deserve your utmost respect. Their venom contains a neurotoxin that causes paralysis and stops vital body functions. A single bite delivers enough venom to kill a human in 20 minutes. If you are bitten, prompt medical attention is a necessity. When they do attack, the strikes are numerous and rapid. You may come across these snakes in their natural habitats, but they will also occasionally take refuge in the roofs of houses, farms, and pumphouses.
That said, encounters with humans are rare. They are shy and secretive animals that prefer to avoid confrontation. They only become aggressive when their path to escape is blocked. When cornered, they will raise their head far off the ground, open their mouth, expand a narrow hood, flick their tongue, and hiss. If you don’t move slowly out of the way, the next stage is a strike. Once you back off, a black mamba is more likely to retreat than strike.
