Its inky-black mouth and lightning-strike action make the Black Mamba the most feared snake in Africa. One bite from this snake, with its neurotoxic venom, will result in certain death in most instances.
With a fearsome reputation, Black Mambas have few natural predators. Most attacks come from the air via birds of prey. On the ground, honey badgers and mongooses are fierce competitors that seem to be resistant to the snake’s venom thanks to muscular receptors not binding to the neurotoxins.
This species of snake is the continent’s longest venomous snake with lengths of up to four meters. Their speed is also not something to sneer at with movement of close to 20 km/h. The Black Mamba has a healthy and thriving population, hence the reason for its conservation status regarded as ‘Least Concern’.
Kruger National Park lies in northeastern South Africa and is one of Africa’s largest game reserves with a high density of wildlife.
Hwange National Park is located in west Zimbabwe boasts grasslands and mopane woods that are home to a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians.
Etosha National Park is home to 114 large and small mammal species, more than 400 bird species, scores of reptiles, and even fish species.
Moremi Game Reserve is located on the eastern side of the Okavango Delta in Botswana and borders the Chobe National Park.
Amboseli National Park lies at base of Africa’s highest mountain, the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro and is home to diverse wildlife.