Black mambas are snakes. They live in Africa. They live on grassy savannas and rocky hills.
An adult black mamba is about 2 to 2.5 metres long. That is about 6.6 to 8.2 feet.
A black mamba is not black. Its body is gray or brown. The inside of its mouth is blue-black. That is where its name comes from.
Black mambas eat small animals such as rats and birds.
How fast is a black mamba? It can slither about 12 miles an hour. It can only go that fast for a short way.
Black mambas are active in the daytime, not at night. They spend much of their time basking in the sun. Often they bask early in the morning.
Black mambas rest in hollow trees. They also rest in empty termite mounds.
A black mamba can lift its head and about a third of its body off the ground.
A mother black mamba lays eggs. Young black mambas get no help from their parents.
After hatching, they look after themselves.
Words to know
- savannas: grassy land
- basking: resting in sun
- slither: glide along
- termite: a small insect
