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Black Mamba — printable fact sheet
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Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
The black mamba is not black. It is olive, grey or gunmetal brown, and its name comes from the inside of its mouth, which it gapes open in a threat display to show a black, coffin-like interior. It is the fastest snake on record — measured at around 4 to 5 metres per second, rou…
Did you know?
- A single Black Mamba can deliver enough venom in one bite to kill 10-20 adult humans.
- Black mamba venom contains mambalgins, peptides that block acid-sensing ion channels; in mice they produce pain relief as strong as morphine without the respiratory depression, and they are being investigated as a template for painkillers. Mambas can hold about a third of the body clear off the ground while moving. They are called black mambas despite never being black, which makes the name one of the most persistent misnomers in herpetology.
What I learned
Draw the black mamba
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