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, or 12.5 miles an hour.

Black mambas prefer to travel on the ground, but they can also climb trees. A black mamba can lift its head and about a third of its body off the ground.

A black mamba mainly uses its eyesight to notice movement. It would rather flee than stay and face danger.

Black mambas are active in the daytime, not at night. They spend much of their time basking in the sun, often early in the morning. A black mamba rests in hollow trees and empty termite mounds. It also has a permanent lair that it comes back to.

Black mambas eat small animals such as rats and birds. They help keep the number of small rodents down.

The black mamba is the longest venomous snake in Africa. Black mamba venom is neurotoxic, which means it acts on the nervous system.

Black mambas are widespread and are not endangered, as of November 2026.

A mother black mamba lays eggs, and 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. The longest recorded life of a captive black mamba was 11 years, as of November 2026. Wild snakes could live longer.

Words to know

• savannas: grassy lands
• neurotoxic: harming nerves
• basking: resting in sun
• rodents: gnawing animals
• lair: home den
• endangered: at risk

The short version

The black mamba is a long snake of Africa that lives on grassy savannas and rocky hills. It is gray or brown, and its name comes from the blue-black inside of its mouth. It has been reported slithering at up to about 20 kilometres an hour.

Quick facts

• An adult black mamba is about 2 to 2.5 metres (6.6 to 8.2 feet) long.
• The inside of a black mamba's mouth is blue-black, which is where its name comes from.
• Black mambas have been reported slithering at up to about 20 kilometres an hour (12.5 miles an hour).
• Black mamba venom is neurotoxic, which means it acts on the nervous system.
• The longest recorded life of a captive black mamba was 11 years (as of November 2026).