QuestionBlack mamba
Why Is the Black Mamba Called Black? The Inky Mouth Explained
The black mamba is called black because of the inside of its mouth, not the color of its skin. The lining of its mouth is a dark, inky blue-black, which the snake shows by gaping wide when threatened. Its body is actually olive, khaki, gray or gray-brown, and truly black individuals are rare.
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What color is a black mamba?
The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is a long, slender snake of sub-Saharan Africa, and its colors are muted rather than dark. Adults range from olive and yellowish-brown through khaki and gunmetal gray to dark gray-brown. Some have a faint purplish sheen on their scales, and some show darker mottling or faint diagonal bands toward the tail. The belly is grayish white or cream.
The eyes are dark brown to black, with a silvery-white or yellowish ring around the round pupil. Seen in the dry grass, rocks and woodland where it lives, the snake blends in well. Color varies between individuals and regions, so it is a poor guide to identification on its own.
Young black mambas are lighter than adults. Hatchlings and juveniles are typically gray or olive and darken as they grow, so a young snake can look quite different from its parents.
The inky mouth and the threat display
The name comes from a feature that is hidden most of the time. The inside of the black mamba’s mouth is dark bluish-gray to nearly black, in sharp contrast to the pale lips and the gray-brown head.
When a black mamba is cornered and cannot escape, it puts on a threat display. It raises the front part of its body high off the ground, spreads a narrow, cobra-like hood, opens its mouth wide to show the dark lining and may hiss. The display is a warning: it says the snake is ready to defend itself. If the intruder keeps still and then backs away slowly, the mamba usually retreats. Sudden movements, on the other hand, can trigger a series of rapid strikes.
Scientists generally interpret the dark gape as a warning signal. A wide-open black mouth is easy to see and hard to ignore, and it makes the snake look larger and more threatening. Many animals use similar sudden displays to startle a predator, though the exact benefit of the black color in this species has not been studied in detail.
Where the name “mamba” comes from
The English word “mamba” comes from imamba, the Zulu name for these snakes in South Africa. The scientific name is Greek: Dendroaspis means “tree asp,” a reference to the tree-climbing habits of the mambas, and polylepis means “many scales.”
The species was formally described in 1864 by the zoologist Albert Günther, from a specimen collected during David Livingstone’s Zambezi expedition. For several decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was lumped together with the eastern green mamba as a single species, and the two were only firmly separated again in 1946.
How is the black mamba different from green mambas?
There are four mamba species, all in the genus Dendroaspis and all in Africa. Three are named after their bright green bodies, while the black mamba is named after its mouth.
| Mamba | Body color | Typical habits |
|---|---|---|
| Black mamba | Olive, khaki, gray or gray-brown | Mostly on the ground, but climbs well; savanna, woodland, rocky hills |
| Eastern green mamba | Bright green, pale belly | Mostly in trees; coastal forest and woodland of East and southern Africa |
| Western green mamba | Green with dark-edged scales | Mostly in trees; forests of West Africa |
| Jameson’s mamba | Green to olive; dark tail in some populations | Mostly in trees; forests of central and West Africa |
The black mamba is the largest, usually 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) long, while green mambas are generally smaller and more slender. Green mambas spend most of their lives in trees and are rarely seen on the ground. A 2016 genetic study found that the black mamba and the eastern green mamba are each other’s closest relatives.
A young black mamba is not a green mamba, even though juveniles can be grayish-green. Their dull olive or gray tones are quite different from the vivid leaf green of the green mambas.
Why color alone is a poor guide
Because the body is not black, people often mistake other snakes for black mambas and vice versa. Many dark, harmless snakes are reported as “black mambas,” while a real black mamba in gray or olive may go unrecognized. Shape, behavior and habitat matter as much as color: a black mamba has a long, narrow, coffin-shaped head, a slim body and a habit of moving with its head raised.
The safest rule in Africa is to treat any large snake with respect and keep your distance, whatever its color. Do not try to get closer to check the inside of its mouth.
Other facts about the black mamba’s appearance
- It is the longest venomous snake in Africa, usually 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft), with rare reports of 4.3–4.5 m (14–15 ft).
- Its smooth scales lie in 23–25 rows around the middle of the body.
- Like other members of the cobra family, it has short fixed fangs at the front of the upper jaw.
- It is one of the fastest snakes, though its real speed of about 11 km/h (7 mph) is much lower than legend suggests; see How fast is a black mamba?
Its venom is very potent, but it is not the most potent of all snakes. For how it ranks, see our list of the most venomous snakes. If anyone is bitten by any snake, seek emergency medical help immediately: call 911 in the US, 112 in the EU or 999 in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
What color is a black mamba really?
Adults are olive, khaki, yellowish-brown, gray or dark gray-brown, sometimes with a slight purplish sheen, and the belly is grayish white or cream. Truly black individuals are rare. Young snakes are paler gray or olive and darken with age.
What color is the inside of a black mamba's mouth?
The lining of the mouth is dark bluish-gray to nearly black, often described as inky. The snake shows it by gaping widely when it feels threatened, which is how the species got its name.
Is a green mamba a young black mamba?
No. Green mambas are separate species: the eastern green mamba, the western green mamba and Jameson's mamba. Young black mambas are gray or olive, never the bright leaf green of green mambas.
Where does the word mamba come from?
The word comes from imamba, the name for these snakes in the Zulu language of South Africa. The scientific name Dendroaspis polylepis means 'many-scaled tree asp' in Greek.
Why do black mambas open their mouths?
Gaping is part of a threat display. A cornered mamba raises its head, spreads a narrow hood, opens its dark mouth wide and may hiss, warning an intruder to back off before it strikes.
Sources and further reading
- Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan), "Dendroaspis polylepis"
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Mamba"
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, "Dendroaspis polylepis"
Cite this page
“Why Is the Black Mamba Called Black? The Inky Mouth Explained.” Animal Atlas, https://animals.bigworldlist.com/questions/why-is-black-mamba-called-black/.
