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We saw a little scrub hare and we made photo's and film of the little one.
Than I saw something moving about 3 meters away from us and when I looked carefully, I saw a big black mamba coming for the little scrub hare.
When I put my camera in his direction, the black Mamba came up and disappeared away in full speed into a bush and climbed higher and higher.
Probably the BM saw my camera moving and got afraid for it.
Then we made this great pics and the little scrub hare disappeared into the field.

We were on our way back to camp - Crocodile Bridge and it was just before they close the gates when we came across a black mamba in the road.
I almost drove over it.
Came to a screeching halt - grabbed my video cam and started filming.
The mamba raised itself off the ground.
My sister-in-law was having a fit saying we should drive off as it would 'chase' us and it is fast!
I think I came upon it so fast it got a fright and also I was slam bang in it's path where it wanted to cross the road.
I never realised they could lift themselves up so high off the ground.
Sorry, can't post the video here.
But, yes, seen one and so close to camp - the guard at the gate even shouted to us to drive!
I wasn't sure whether he was telling me to drive as he was closing the gate or drive because of the snake hehehe!

One for the snake experts:
I’ve heard the sound a puff adder makes to warn you not to get too close…it is something you will hear from quite a few meters. I would like to know whether a black mamba that feels threatened also produce a sound. Say for argument sake I have a black mamba inside my house: will I only know it is there when I see it or will it make a sound?

It will display like a cobra, albeit with a smaller hood. Good time to leave then.

Best I do not repeat what I said when I first read this…..eish wena!!!




Ok, burning down the house seems to be the best option…I’m sure my insurance company will understand the predicament.

This is one scary snake.
My two encounters with BM this past year was with young ones….one was caught by a hornbill in Marloth and the other one I unfortunately had to kill in Maputo.
But a 4m snake that can move with 1/3 of his body lifted from the ground…that is not child’s play.

I remember one episode of Crocodile Hunter where Steve Erwin got hold of the tail of a Black Mamba….the next moment this snake used his own body to climb back towards Steve’s hand.
This was a creature that could not be played with!

While we were talking about snakes, Stephen’s SO also told me that they now had a German tourist in Berg & Dal that was bitten by a Stiletto Snake.
To be bitten by this snake is actually quite a rare thing. There are no recorder fatalities from this snake, but its bite might cause the loss of a limb like a finger or toe. Apparently the guy's foot swell up terribly and he had severe pain. He ended up in hospital …I cannot remember how long she said he was there for.

I also know of a guy that was bitten by a black mamba a year or two (?) ago…incidentally this was also in Berg & Dal.
Apparently they resuscitated him all the way to Nelspruit and that saved his life!

The good news for snakebite victims is that even in the event of a bite from a snake like the black mamba, people are seldom killed within 4 hours.
However deaths within 30min have also been recorded…..I think that depends on how many times you were bitten (as Pilane mention about several strikes) and also where you were bitten.
They say that because of the black mamba’s length it may also bite at chest height.
As Pilane mentioned in another thread: then there are still hordes of other factors that might influence how you will react to the venom….your health, the snakes health etc.
I do however think that venom will have a much faster effect on a young child.



Probably my biggest fear in life!
What do you do when you feel this thing slithering into your bed!!!
And on top of that, it appears that snakes often do this.
A few years back there were media reports of a boy that was bitten by a Cape Cobra that got into his bed in Nossob….BTW, that snake is more dangerous, IMHO, than the Black Mamba…it has one bad attitude.

This is a little video of a Black Mamba that we saw at the S142 near Mopani. We saw a little Hare and just some meters away was a Black Mamba that disappeared into the branches of a bush. The little Hare got away for now.

Incredible video Nico!!
On the first scene where you see the mamba, it looks like there is already something in its stomach?
It is often said that other snakes might be confused for black mambas, but that head is so unmistakable to me.

That´s my favorite:

www.naturfoto-wildlifefoto.de/ansicht-% ... 2-3097.htm

I recently had a very close shave with a black mamba, and even though I have A LOT of luck with snakes, I still feel that people are wrong about this one.
It is not a vicious monster bent on the destruction of mankind.
It gets just as scared as we do, and will bite to defend itself, just as we kill to defend ourselves. I actually have a new view about this and all snakes, even though they scare the living daylights out of me.

*Note: this message is not aimed at anybody.

I have been very fortunate to have seen 3 big Black Mambas in the wild of which 2 was in the KNP.

May 1999, there was a Black Mamba in a tree in Letaba camp and September 2006 on the S 82 just south of Lower Sabie. Two amazing experiences. For me, just as good a sighting as seeing a leopard. The third Black Mamba sighting was in Madikwe.

But I must agree, not a snake I would like to be bitten by if the closest hospital is 70km's away. And for that matter not even if I stayed next to the hospital.

Mfezi

Try seeing one on foot, when its coming straight towards you and... you're CORNERED!!! Have seen 2 in the wild, both at Shimuwini Camp, which our family (after the incident) have now called Black Mamba Bushveld Camp.

In the reception there is a skin of a BM that they found at the Baobab, 3,03 meters long.

I am by no means a snake expert but I can say one thing: Mambas have incredibly strong bodies.
They are capable of raising their bodies quite a distance from the floor.
This ability is much needed to climb and maneuver between trees and branches, even cane and on fences if needs be.
Green mamba is also well adapted to trees and just like boomslang and twig snake can easily move from branch to branch even thou the distance is quite a significant one.

So yes, I can see that this is quite a possible feat for Black Mamba.

Living in the bush for 8 years i have seen quite a few of them.
the longest one must be close to 4 meter.
I have had on rear up next to me will i was sitting the open landy with out a door, I swear it was taller that me. I unfortunately had to shoot 3 of them in the lodge, they were all 3.5 meter.
I wish I did not have to but there where lots of children around, I have even had on in my house before, luckily it left quickly.
Being a field guide in PNP, I removed many snake out of rooms, lots of spitters.
Our last trip in Kruger we saw a long one, nearly the width of then road.
I tell you I would rather be bitten by a BM than a puffy, 3 of my Friends have been bitten by puffys, they went threw a lot of pain.
BM is painless and you just need to be put on life support, that is if you can get to one in time.

Karl

I have to say, this snakes makes shivers go through me.
Due to what I previously read, I was under a misconception regarding the temperament of a BM, but the youngster we had at our bush house quickly put that right.
I really think the only people who should attempt to capture a BM, are people who have had extensive experience with snakes (especially when the nearest medical facility is a distance away, as W@H pointed out)….the BM is incredibly fast.
IMHO, there is a huge difference between handling a snake that will bite because it is scared, and a snake that actually goes for you because it is “bedonnerd” (aggressive).
It is almost the same as the difference in temperament in certain breeds of dogs….some dogs will only really bite if they are threatened or hurt, but a dog like a pitbull will go for you without real reason.
Another snake that apparently also have such an aggressive temperament is the Cape Cobra.

Ok, one for the experts (maybe not 100% on topic, but will be interesting to hear):
Will pepper spray work on a snake?
If it does, will it just deter the snake or will it actually harm the snake (then not an option to use)?