Let us find out about the black mamba. Black mambas live in Africa, on grassy savannas and rocky hills. They like places with cover, such as rocks and fallen trees.

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.

How fast is a black mamba? Black mambas have been reported slithering at up to about 20 kilometres an hour. That is 12.5 miles an hour.

A black mamba mainly uses its eyesight to notice movement.

Black mambas are active in the daytime, not at night. They spend much of their time basking in the sun. They rest in hollow trees and empty termite mounds.

What does a black mamba eat? Black mambas eat small animals such as rats and birds. They help keep the number of small rodents down.

A mother black mamba lays eggs. The eggs take about 2 to 3 months to hatch. Young black mambas get no help from their parents. After hatching they look after themselves.

Words to know

• savannas: grassy lands
• basking: resting in sun
• rodents: gnawing animals
• termite: small insect