The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is a species of highly venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae.

The species is both terrestrial (ground-living) and arboreal (tree-living); it inhabits savannah, woodland, rocky slopes and in some regions, dense forest.

In a threat display, the black mamba usually opens its inky-black mouth, spreads its narrow neck-flap and sometimes hisses.

Its venom is primarily composed of neurotoxins that often induce symptoms within ten minutes, and is frequently fatal unless antivenom is administered.

Despite its reputation as a formidable and highly aggressive species, the black mamba attacks humans only if it is threatened or cornered.

It is rated as least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List of Threatened Species.

[2][3] A single specimen was one of many species of snake collected by John Kirk, a naturalist who accompanied David Livingstone on the 1858–1864 Second Zambesi expedition.

[7] In 1873, German naturalist Wilhelm Peters described Dendraspis Antinorii from a specimen in the museum of Genoa that had been collected by Italian explorer Orazio Antinori in what is now northern Eritrea.

[16] The black mamba is a proteroglyphous (front-fanged) snake, with fangs up to 6.5 mm (0.26 in) in length,[17] located at the front of the maxilla.

[19] Specimens vary considerably in colour, including olive, yellowish-brown, khaki and gunmetal but are rarely black.

[20] Mamba eyes range between greyish-brown and shades of black; the pupil is surrounded by a silvery-white or yellow colour.

Juvenile snakes are lighter in colour than adults; these are typically grey or olive green and darken as they age.

[13] The black mamba inhabits a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa; its range includes Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Mozambique, Eswatini, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Angola.

[23] The species prefers moderately dry environments such as light woodland and scrub, rocky outcrops and semi-arid savanna.

On the ground, it moves with its head and neck raised, and typically uses termite mounds, abandoned burrows, rock crevices and tree cracks as shelter.

[13][17][18] During the threat display, any sudden movement by the intruder may provoke the snake into performing a series of rapid strikes, leading to severe envenomation.

[13][17] The black mamba's reputation for being ready to attack is exaggerated; it is usually provoked by perceived threats such as the blocking of its movements and ability to retreat.

[24][12] The black mamba's breeding season spans from September to February,[25] following the drop in temperature which occurs from April to June.

[27][28] The black mamba does not typically hold onto its prey after biting; rather it releases its quarry and waits for it to succumb to paralysis and death before it is swallowed.

[37] Young mambas in the Serengeti are known to fall prey to southern ground hornbills, marsh owls and hooded vultures.

[41] The peak period for deaths is the species' breeding season from September to February, during which black mambas are most irritable.

[25] Early neurological signs that indicate severe envenomation include a metallic taste, drooping eyelids (ptosis) and gradual symptoms of bulbar palsy.

[47] Other neurological symptoms include miosis (constricted pupils), blurred or diminished vision, paresthesia (a tingling sensation on the skin), dysarthria (slurred speech), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), dyspnea (shortness of breath), difficulty handling saliva, an absent gag reflex, fasciculations (muscle twitches), ataxia (impaired voluntary movement), vertigo, drowsiness and loss of consciousness, and respiratory paralysis.

[25] Other more general symptoms include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, sweating, salivation, goosebumps and red eyes.

[46] The venom is composed of two main families of toxic agents, dendrotoxins (I and K) and (at a slightly lower proportion) three-finger toxins.

[25] Mambalgins act as inhibitors for acid-sensing ion channels in the central and peripheral nervous system, causing a pain-inhibiting effect.