Getting up close and personal with a black mamba isn’t exactly something we all aspire to do. Black mambas are highly venomous. However, this one was more interested in the mouse in front of it than in Nelene, who was behind the camera.
Watch The Sighting:
Having just paralysed the mouse with its deadly venom, the snake then proceeded to swallow it whole… a remarkable feat considering the relative size of the prey.
Black Mamba Snake Closes In On Mouse
Fast and highly lethal, the black mamba is one of the world’s most feared snakes. The species feeds on birds, rodents, and other snakes, biting its prey and injecting it with venom before swallowing it whole.
The venom of the black mamba has a paralysing effect, which remain still due to the fast-acting venom. This venom is fast-acting, which would have given the mouse little chance to move away from the snake before succumbing to venom-induced paralysis.
The snakes also have a 100 percent envenomation rate for their bites. This means that all of their bites contain venom and are highly effective in immobilising the prey. Some will bite their prey multiple times for good measure.
In addition to being highly venomous, these snakes are also very fast. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, they can move up to 19 kph.
With aggression, size, and speed in their favour, and with their deadly venom, black mamba snakes live up to their name as one of the deadliest snakes in the world.
They’re also the second-longest venomous snake in the world. They can grow up to 4.5 metres long.
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Snake Proceeds To Swallow Mouse Whole!
With the mouse in its grip, the black mamba snake then opened its jaws wide to position them around the mouse’s head.
To swallow their prey whole, these snakes have highly movable jaws. Their jaws have extremely flexible ligaments, allowing them to swallow prey that is much larger than their heads.
Once this snake had secured its jaws over the mouse’s head, it began to swallow, even as it dragged the mouse towards the covering of a nearby plant where it had taken refuge.
The snake acted quickly and with precision. Its mere presence commanded respect. The black mamba is a highly skilled hunting machine, and there is a reason behind its infamy.
Unbelievable as it seems, the snake can literally swallow the entire mouse and has been adapted for this purpose.
Mouse Is Dragged Away Out Of View
The video shows the snake’s abilities as a predator and its deliberate, calculated moves in catching and eating prey.
There are various theories as to why the venom of black mambas is so potent. One theory suggests that as they evolved, the snakes had fewer opportunities to catch prey, and a more potent venom was needed to ensure a catch.
However, researchers are still trying to understand why some animals are more venomous than others.