Western Green Mamba

ANIMAL:
Western Green Mamba  Dendroaspis viridis

Type of Animal:
Elapid

Habitat:
Tropical forest, thickets, woodlands, vegetated areas in cities/towns/suburbs, vegetated parkland, open forest, savanna, forest edges/clearings, scrubland

Location(s):
W Africa from S Senegal & S tip of Mali to SW Nigeria

Appearance:
Long slender snake, narrow elongate head, vivid yellowish green to green, yellow anterior scale margins, yellowish green to green head, more yellow on belly, round pupils, yellow brown iris

Food/Diet:
Birds, rodents, bats, shrews, tree pangolins, lizards, frogs, eggs

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding from zoos, reptile centers, & breeders

Lifestyle:
Solitary

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young-Snakelet
Group-Solitary

Weight:
Male-1.4 lbs
Female-1.5 lbs

Gestation:
2.5-3 months 

Life Span:
12-15 years

Body Length:
Male-4.6 ft
Female-6.9 ft
Young-3.2 ft

Tail Length:
Male-0.98 ft
Female-1.38 ft
Young-7.68 in

Main predators are raptors, pythons, & monitor lizards.

Prefer trees but will descend to the ground to hunt.

Venom is mix of neurotoxins (targeting nerve tissue) & cardiotoxins (targeting heart).

Venom extremely fast acting.

Strikes prey rapidly & often until it succumbs to venom.

While growth decreases w/ age, never completely stops growing.

Females lay 4-17 eggs.

Also called the West African Green Mamba.

When snake is aroused, it will flatten its neck.

They have a very high metabolism.

They tend to be active year round.

Males neck wrestle w/ other males over females.

These snakes rely heavily on vision to hunt.

Often nest in mammal burrows in trees.

Fun Fact(s):
Can reach speeds of up to 7 mph.

Babies highly venomous right at birth.

Extremely dangerous due to highly potent venom, agility, & often, unpredictable temperament. However, they’ll flee if given choice. If cornered, they’ll hiss/strike repeatedly.

Besides being fast & unpredictable, they’re also shy, alert, & nervous.

While bites uncommon, majority of recorded bites have been fatal.
 
Some bite fatalities have occurred only half an hour after being bitten.

Symptoms of bites include local pain/swelling, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, vertigo, drowsiness, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, & paralysis.

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