Mamba - wikipedia Mamba For other uses, see Mamba ( disambiguation ). Dendroaspis Black mamba Scientific classification Kingdom : Animalia Phylum : Chordata Clade : Tetrapodomorpha Class : Reptilia Order : Squamata Suborder : Serpentes Family : Elapidae Subfamily : Elapinae Genus : Dendroaspis Schlegel, 1848 Species Dendroaspis angusticeps Dendroaspis jamesoni Dendroaspis polylepis Dendroaspis viridis Mambas are fast - moving venomous snakes of the genus Dendroaspis ( which literally means `` tree asp '' ) in the family Elapidae. Four extant species are recognised currently ; three of those four species are essentially arboreal and green in colour, whereas the so - called black mamba, Dendroaspis polylepis, is largely terrestrial and generally brown or grey in colour. All are native to various regions in sub-Saharan Africa and all are feared throughout their ranges, especially the black mamba. In Africa there are many legends and stories about mambas. Contents 1 Behaviour 2 Venom 2.1 Mamba toxins 3 Taxonomy 4 References 5 External links Behaviour The three species of green mambas are arboreal, whereas the black mamba is largely terrestrial. All four species are active diurnal hunters, preying on birds, lizards, and small mammals. At nightfall some species, especially the terrestrial black mamba, shelter in a lair. A mamba may retain the same lair for years. Mambas and cobras are in the same family : the Elapidae. Like cobras, a mamba may rear and form a hood as part of its threat display, but the mamba 's hood is narrower and is longer than the broader hood of some species of cobra, such as say, the spectacled cobras of parts of Asia. In their threat display mambas commonly gape ; the black mamba 's mouth is black within, which renders the threat more conspicuous. Typically also, a rearing mamba tends to lean well forward, instead of standing erect as a cobra does. Stories of black mambas that chase and attack humans are common, but in fact the snakes generally avoid contact with humans. Most apparent cases of pursuit probably are examples of where witnesses have mistaken the snake 's attempt to retreat to its lair when a human happens to be in the way. The black mamba usually uses its speed to escape from threats, and humans actually are their main predators, rather than prey. Venom An agitated mamba All mambas are highly venomous. Their venoms consist mostly of neurotoxins ( known as dendrotoxins ). Besides the neurotoxins, they also carry cardiotoxins and fasciculins. Other components may include calcicludine, which is a known component of the eastern green mamba 's venom and calciseptine, which is a component of black mamba venom. Toxicity of individual specimens within the same species and subspecies can vary greatly based on several factors, including geographical region. Even the weather and altitude can influence toxicity ( Ernst and Zug et al. 1996 ). A bite can be fatal to humans without access to proper first aid and subsequent antivenom treatment, as it shuts down the lungs and heart. The western green mamba ( D. viridis ), eastern green mamba ( D. angusticeps ), and Jameson 's mamba ( D. jamesoni ) possess venom similar in composition and effects to that of the black mamba 's ( D. polylepis ). However, as their venoms are less toxic ( based upon LD studies ), and their temperaments generally not as aggressive or as explosive when provoked, and as none of the three injects as much venom as the black mamba, their bites are materially less dangerous. Before antivenom was available, envenomations by mambas carried a high fatality rate. Untreated black mamba bites have a mortality rate of 100 %, but presently, fatalities have become much rarer due to wide availability of antivenom. Mamba toxins Mamba toxin ( or dendrotoxin ) consists of several components, with different targets. Examples are : Dendrotoxin 1, which inhibits the K channels at the pre and post-synaptic level in the intestinal smooth muscle. It also inhibits Ca - sensitive K channels from rat skeletal muscle ‚ incorporated into planar bilayers ( Kd = 90 nM in 50 mM KCl ). ) Dendrotoxin 3, which inhibits acetylcholine M4 receptors. Dendrotoxin 7, commonly referred to as muscarinic toxin 7 ( MT7 ) inhibits acetylcholine M1 receptors. Dendrotoxin K, structurally homologous to Kunitz - type proteinase inhibitors with activity as a selective blocker of voltage - gated potassium channels Taxonomy Dendroaspis, derives from Ancient Greek dendro ( δένδρο ), meaning `` tree '', and aspis ( ασπίς ), which is understood to mean `` shield '', but also denotes `` cobra '' or simply `` snake '', in particular `` snake with hood ( shield ) ''. Via Latin aspis, it is the source of the English word `` asp ''. In ancient texts, aspis or asp often referred to the Egyptian cobra ( Naja haje ), in reference to its shield - like hood. Thus, `` Dendroaspis '' literally means tree asp, reflecting the arboreal nature of most of the species within the genus. The genus was first described by the German ornithologist and herpetologist Hermann Schlegel in 1848. Evidence suggests that Dendroaspis, Ophiophagus, Bungarus, and Hemibungarus form a solid non-coral snake Afro - Asiatic clade. Of the currently recognized mamba species, three are green and the other is the `` black mamba '', so called in spite of its generally brown or grey body. Species Authority Image Subsp. * Common name Geographic range Dendroaspis angusticeps ( Smith, 1849 ) 0 Eastern green mamba Found in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, eastern South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Niger, Central African Republic, Chad Dendroaspis jamesoni ( Traill, 1843 ) Jameson 's mamba Found in Central Africa in Sudan, Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Central African Republic, Benin, Ghana Dendroaspis polylepis Günther, 1864 0 Black mamba Found in eastern Africa and southern Africa in northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo, southwestern Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, eastern Uganda, Tanzania, southwards to Mozambique, Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Rwanda, Djibouti and Botswana to KwaZulu - Natal in South Africa, and Namibia ; then northeasterly through Angola to the southeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo Dendroaspis viridis ( Hallowell, 1844 ) 0 Western green mamba Found only in western Africa in southern Senegal, Gambia, Guinea - Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and southwest Nigeria * Including the nominate subspecies. Type species. References Jump up ^ `` Dendroaspis ''. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 30 October 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` National Geographic ( Black Mamba, Dendroaspis polylepis ) ''. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 5 July 2013. African myths exaggerate their capabilities to legendary proportions ; Black mambas are shy and will almost always seek to escape when confronted. Jump up ^ Jan Knappert ( 1 January 1985 ). Myths and Legends of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Brill Archive. pp. 53 --. ISBN 90 - 04 - 07455 - 4. Jump up ^ Alfred Burdon Ellis ( 1887 ). South African Sketches. Chapman and Hall, Limited. also at : ( 1 ) ^ Jump up to : O'Shea, Mark ( 2005 ). VENOMOUS SNAKES OF THE WORLD. multiple places : US and Canada : Princeton University Press ; Europe : New Holland ( UK ) Ltd. pp. 78 -- 79. ISBN 978 - 0 - 691 - 15023 - 9... in common with other snakes they prefer to avoid contact ;... Of the three species of green mambas... ;... from 1957 to 1963... including all seven black mamba bites - a 100 per cent fatality rate Jump up ^ The new encyclopedia of Reptiles ( Serpent ). Time Book Ltd. 2002. Jump up ^ van Aswegen G, van Rooyen JM, Fourie C, Oberholzer G. ( May 1996 ). `` Putative cardiotoxicity of the venoms of three mamba species ''. Journal of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. 7 ( 2 ) : 115 -- 21. doi : 10.1580 / 1080 - 6032 ( 1996 ) 007 ( 0115 : PCOTVO ) 2.3.CO ; 2. PMID 11990104. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ Fasciculin Jump up ^ Neurotoxins in Snake Venom Jump up ^ Davidson, Terence. `` IMMEDIATE FIRST AID ''. University of California, San Diego. Archived from the original on 2012 - 11 - 02. Retrieved 2011 - 09 - 22. Jump up ^ Newitt RA, Houamed KM, Rehm H, Tempel BL. ( 1991 ). `` ( Potassium channels and epilepsy : evidence that the epileptogenic toxin, dendrotoxin, binds to potassium channel proteins. ) ''. Epilepsy Research Supplement. 4 : 263 -- 73. PMID 1815606. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) ^ Jump up to : Rang, H.P. ( 2003 ). Pharmacology. Edinburgh : Churchill Livingstone. p. 139. ISBN 0 - 443 - 07145 - 4. Jump up ^ Berndt KD, Güntert P, Wüthrich K. ( 5 December 1993 ). `` ( Nuclear magnetic resonance solution structure of dendrotoxin K from the venom of Dendroaspis polylepis polylepis. ) ''. Journal of Molecular Biology. 234 ( 3 ) : 735 -- 50. doi : 10.1006 / jmbi. 1993.1623. PMID 8254670. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ Harvey AL, Robertson B. ( 2004 ). `` Dendrotoxins : structure - activity relationships and effects on potassium ion channels ''. Curr. Med. Chem. 11 : 3065 -- 72. doi : 10.2174 / 0929867043363820. PMID 15579000. CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) Jump up ^ `` dendro - ''. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. Retrieved 4 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Definition of `` aspis '' - Collins English Dictionary ``. collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 15 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` aspis, asp ''. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House. Retrieved 4 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Dendroaspis ''. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 9 December 2013. Jump up ^ Castoe, TA ; Smith, EN ; Brown, RM ; Parkinson, CL ( 2007 ). `` Higher - level phylogeny of Asian and American coralsnakes, their placement within the Elapidae ( Squamata ), and the systematic affinities of the enigmatic Asian coral snake Hemibungarus calligaster ( Wiegmann, 1834 ) '' ( PDF ). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 151 ( 4 ) : 809 -- 831. doi : 10.1111 / j. 1096 - 3642.2007. 00350. x. Retrieved 26 April 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Dendroaspis ''. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2013. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dendroaspis. Animal Planet Cobras Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor modulators mAChRs Agonists 77 - LH - 28 - 1 AC - 42 AC - 260,584 Aceclidine Acetylcholine AF30 AF150 ( S ) AF267B Alvameline AQRA - 741 Arecoline Bethanechol Bevonium Butyrylcholine Carbachol CDD - 0034 CDD - 0078 CDD - 0097 CDD - 0098 CDD - 0102 Cevimeline Choline cis - Dioxolane Clozapine Desmethylclozapine ( norclozapine ) Ethoxysebacylcholine Itameline LY - 593,039 L - 689,660 LY - 2,033,298 McNA343 Methacholine Milameline Muscarine NGX - 267 Ocvimeline Oxotremorine PD - 151,832 Pilocarpine RS86 Sabcomeline SDZ 210 - 086 Sebacylcholine Suberyldicholine Talsaclidine Tazomeline Thiopilocarpine Vedaclidine VU - 0029767 VU - 0090157 VU - 0152099 VU - 0152100 VU - 0238429 WAY - 132,983 Xanomeline YM - 796 Antagonists 3 - Quinuclidinyl benzilate 4 - DAMP Aclidinium bromide ( + formoterol ) Abediterol AF - DX 250 AF - DX 384 Ambutonium bromide Anisodamine Anisodine Antihistamines ( first - generation ) ( e.g., brompheniramine, buclizine, captodiame, chlorphenamine ( chlorpheniramine ), cinnarizine, clemastine, cyproheptadine, dimenhydrinate, dimetindene, diphenhydramine, doxylamine, meclizine, mepyramine ( pyrilamine ), mequitazine, perlapine, phenindamine, pheniramine, phenyltoloxamine, promethazine, propiomazine, triprolidine ) AQ - RA 741 Atropine Atropine methonitrate Atypical antipsychotics ( e.g., clozapine, fluperlapine, olanzapine ( + fluoxetine ), rilapine, quetiapine, tenilapine, zotepine ) Benactyzine Benzatropine ( benztropine ) Benzilone Benzilylcholine mustard Benzydamine BIBN 99 Biperiden Bornaprine Camylofin CAR - 226,086 CAR - 301,060 CAR - 302,196 CAR - 302,282 CAR - 302,368 CAR - 302,537 CAR - 302,668 Caramiphen Cimetropium bromide Clidinium bromide Cloperastine CS - 27349 Cyclobenzaprine Cyclopentolate Darifenacin DAU - 5884 Desfesoterodine Dexetimide DIBD Dicycloverine ( dicyclomine ) Dihexyverine Difemerine Diphemanil metilsulfate Ditran EA - 3167 EA - 3443 EA - 3580 EA - 3834 Emepronium bromide Etanautine Etybenzatropine ( ethybenztropine ) Fenpiverinium Fentonium bromide Fesoterodine Flavoxate Glycopyrronium bromide ( + beclometasone / formoterol, + indacaterol ) Hexahydrodifenidol Hexahydrosiladifenidol Hexbutinol Hexocyclium Himbacine HL - 031,120 Homatropine Imidafenacin Ipratropium bromide ( + salbutamol ) Isopropamide J - 104,129 Hyoscyamine Mamba toxin 3 Mamba toxin 7 Mazaticol Mebeverine Meladrazine Mepenzolate Methantheline Methoctramine Methylatropine Methylhomatropine Methylscopolamine Metixene Muscarinic toxin 7 N - Ethyl - 3 - piperidyl benzilate N - Methyl - 3 - piperidyl benzilate Nefopam Octatropine methylbromide ( anisotropine methylbromide ) Orphenadrine Otenzepad ( AF - DX 116 ) Otilonium bromide Oxapium iodide Oxitropium bromide Oxybutynin Oxyphencyclimine Oxyphenonium bromide PBID PD - 102,807 PD - 0298029 Penthienate Pethidine pFHHSiD Phenglutarimide Phenyltoloxamine Pipenzolate bromide Piperidolate Pirenzepine Piroheptine Pizotifen Poldine Pridinol Prifinium bromide Procyclidine Profenamine ( ethopropazine ) Propantheline bromide Propiverine Quinidine Revefenacin Rociverine RU - 47,213 SCH - 57,790 SCH - 72,788 SCH - 217,443 Scopolamine ( hyoscine ) Scopolamine butylbromide ( hyoscine butylbromide ) Silahexacyclium Sofpironium bromide Solifenacin SSRIs ( e.g., femoxetine, paroxetine ) Telenzepine Terodiline Tetracyclic antidepressants ( e.g., amoxapine, maprotiline, mianserin, mirtazapine ) Tiemonium iodide Timepidium bromide Tiotropium bromide Tiquizium bromide Tofenacin Tolterodine Tricyclic antidepressants ( e.g., amitriptyline ( + perphenazine ), amitriptylinoxide, butriptyline, cidoxepin, clomipramine, desipramine, desmethyldesipramine, dibenzepin, dosulepin ( dothiepin ), doxepin, imipramine, lofepramine, nitroxazepine, northiaden ( desmethyldosulepin ), nortriptyline, protriptyline, quinupramine, trimipramine ) Tridihexethyl Trihexyphenidyl Trimebutine Tripitamine ( tripitramine ) Tropacine Tropatepine Tropicamide Trospium chloride Typical antipsychotics ( e.g., chlorpromazine, chlorprothixene, cyamemazine ( cyamepromazine ), loxapine, mesoridazine, thioridazine ) Umeclidinium bromide ( + vilanterol ) WIN - 2299 Xanomeline Zamifenacin Precursors ( and prodrugs ) Acetyl - coA Adafenoxate Choline ( lecithin ) Citicoline Cyprodenate Dimethylethanolamine Glycerophosphocholine Meclofenoxate ( centrophenoxine ) Phosphatidylcholine Phosphatidylethanolamine Phosphorylcholine Pirisudanol See also : Receptor / signaling modulators Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor modulators Acetylcholine metabolism / transport modulators Taxon identifiers Wikidata : Q194425 Wikispecies : Dendroaspis ADW : Dendroaspis EoL : 18028 EPPO : 1DNDAG GBIF : 2469869 iNaturalist : 30404 IRMNG : 1259773 ITIS : 700211 NCBI : 8617 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mamba&oldid=862220986 '' Categories : Elapidae Muscarinic antagonists Snakes of Africa Mambas Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter Articles with ' species ' microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2012 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikispecies Afrikaans Asturianu Български Català Cebuano Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית ಕನ್ನಡ ქართული Қазақша Kiswahili Кыргызча Lietuvių Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Українська Tiếng Việt Winaray 中文 36 more Edit links This page was last edited on 2 October 2018, at 23 : 20 ( UTC ). 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Question: what type of snake is green and black
Answer: mamba