Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
The black mamba is a large, egg-laying African elapid that moves on the ground and in vegetation. Adults are usually gray, olive or brown; the name refers to the dark lining of the mouth. It is kept in specialist zoological collections requiring secure containment, adequate space and trained husbandry. Housing needs retreats, climbing routes and a controlled thermal gradient. Its fast-acting venom can be fatal, and dangerous-animal licensing regimes apply in many places.
Colors: Wild Type