The hatchlings are independent immediately and can catch prey the size of a small rat. The shells of the eggs allow water and oxygen to reach the developing embryos.īlack mamba hatchlings are around 51 centimetres long and greyish-green in color. The decomposition of the vegetation gives off heat, which helps to warm the eggs and speed up hatching time. The female will then lay between 10 and 25 eggs, usually in decaying vegetation. After mating the male will return back to its own home. Black Mamba Snake Reproductionīreeding usually takes place in late spring or early summer.
Black mamba snakes have very good eyesight and can strike their prey such as rodents, bats, birds and lizards like lightning, leaving their powerful venom to finish off the kill. Black mamba snakes are able to hold their heads up to one metre above the ground when striking and can hold them 50 centimetres above the ground even when moving. When killing a bird, however, the Black Mamba snake will cling to its prey, preventing it from flying away.īlack mamba snakes travel quickly across rough ground or along low tree branches when hunting. When hunting small animals, the Black Mamba snake delivers a single deadly bite and then retreats, waiting for the neurotoxin in its venom to paralyze the prey. Black mamba snakes are diurnal snakes that hunt prey actively day or night.
