Today, scientists know the type of snake, which can rightly be called the fastest in the world. We are talking about a reptile living in Africa - the black mamba. Few people in Europe know which snake is the fastest and that it lives on the southernmost continent of the world. However, local residents are familiar with it firsthand.
The fastest snake, the speed of which can exceed 20 km / h, prefers life in the conditions of the savannah and the steppes, but often visits the homes of people living in African countries. It is noteworthy that the existing myth that the black mamba can haunt the victim for a long time is just a fiction. She can move with great speed, but only for short distances. In this article we will consider what the fastest snake in the world is, where it lives, the ways of its movement and the structure of the body.
Habitat
Black mamba is an exclusively African species of snakes. It is distributed throughout Africa, but the arid areas of the southern and eastern parts of the mainland are most preferred for it. The main habitats are savannahs and light forests. Mostly the fastest snake leads a terrestrial lifestyle, but sometimes climbs into trees. Black mamba has a very wide habitat. These reptiles are often found in Namibia, Kwazulu-Natal, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Congo, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. In addition, experts say that meetings with this reptile have been recorded more than once in the territories of Rwanda and Burundi.
The black mamba is not adapted to life on trees, therefore it lives in the savannah, among small shrubs. Often, in order to bask in the sun, she climbs a tree, but spends most of her life on earth. In rare cases, the reptile settles in termite mounds and hollows of trees. In addition, there are numerous cases where the fastest snake settled in people's homes. As a rule, she is attracted to small rodents adjacent to humans.
Appearance
What is the feature of the fastest snake on land for which she got her name? Not everyone knows the answer to this question. This reptile got its name not for body color, but for the peculiarity of the mouth, which gives it a terrible appearance and mortal danger to humans. The size of the fastest snake makes it the second largest poisonous snake in the world after the king cobra. In length, it can reach 4 meters, but this is the maximum size. The standard length of an average individual is from 2 to 3 meters.
Although this reptile bears such a name, its color is far from black. She got her name for the unusual coal-black color of her mouth. The body of the snake itself has a dark olive shade with a metallic sheen. In this case, the back, closer to the end of the tail, is darker than the rest of the body. The abdomen of black mamba has a light brown color. Adults have a darker body color, young ones are much lighter.
Black mamba skull
Like other types of snakes, this reptile has a diagonal-type skull with reduced temporal arches. In addition, it is also kinetic, which indicates the possibility of bone expansion. This function is especially important when swallowing food. The cranial bones are divided into a number of types: square, temporal, scaly and bones of the upper jaw. The jaw, both upper and lower, are separated by ligaments with good elasticity. They are also interconnected among themselves, due to which the black mamba is able to swallow prey that exceeds the size of the mouth.
Jaws and teeth
Black mamba has well-developed teeth, which are on both the upper and lower jaw. The teeth are 6.5 millimeters long. They are thin and very sharp. This is necessary for the gradual pushing of food into the esophagus.
It is noteworthy that the jaws and teeth of this reptile, like other types of snakes, are not intended for chewing function. In addition to small sharp teeth that perform the function of directing food, the black mamba has long poisonous teeth. They are hollow and directly connected to the glands that produce poison. When a bite occurs, poison is injected into the victim’s body through poisonous teeth. An interesting fact here is that the black mamba, unlike other poisonous snakes, makes not one bite, but a series for which it can inject up to 450 milligrams of poison. The lethal dose for humans is 10-15 milligrams.
One of the main features of the black mamba is the shape of its jaws. If you look at her carefully, it may seem that the reptile is smiling. But this smile does not add to her sweetness. When you meet this creature, you need to be extremely careful. A bite of a black mamba in the leg area can kill a person in 2 hours, but if he fell in the vein, then the poison will lead to death in a few minutes.
Spine
Since this reptile has no developed limbs, there are no specific sections in its spine. It has increased flexibility, uniformity and long length. It is noteworthy that the vertebrae are all absolutely identical and the same identical ribs are attached to them. Their number depends on the size of the snake. It is reliably known that the fastest snake can have up to 430 vertebrae. The sternum, like other types of snakes, is absent. Due to this feature, the snake can fold into rings as much as its length allows.
Limbs
Like other species, the limbs of the fastest snake in the world are atrophied. However, experts who examined several individuals from different parts of Africa found that snakes that live in the northern part of the mainland have slight rudiments of the pelvic bones. They are more pronounced than those of the southern inhabitants.
