Those statistics aren’t what we’re looking at in this case. Instead, we’re going to focus on the rare combination of physical characteristics, venom, and hunting prowess of this incredible snake that makes it so deadly to human beings. Discover what makes the black mamba the worst snake that a person can run into in the wild. The black mamba is dangerous because it is both enormous and fast, and has an intensely potent venom that kills most of its human victims.
Black Mamba’s Venom Makes It the World’s Most Dangerous Snake
The header says it all: black mamba venom is a potent cocktail that includes powerful neurotoxins. The venom starts affecting the individual who is bitten within ten minutes, causing a wide variety of effects such as dizziness, blurred vision, ataxia, and many others. After 45 minutes, an adult can collapse from these effects. Within 7-15 hours, an individual can suffer respiratory and cardiovascular failures leading to death. However, some individuals can die much faster. Many snakes have venom that can kill humans, but the speed with which the black mamba venom impacts humans is faster than average.
Envenomation Rate
Although black mambas bites doesn’t cause necrosis or swelling, the fact is that the snakes inject a lot of venom per bite. On average, they inject 100-120g of venom into a human, and the maximum envenomation ever recorded for a bite was 400g. That is somewhere between 10x and 40x the amount of venom that is needed to kill a single adult. The overkill on their envenomation is just one factor, though. Many snakes around the world do not want to waste their venom on something that they cannot eat. That includes humans. Venomous snakes will sometimes use a “dry bite”, a bite without venom in it to get humans to back off and leave them alone. That does not happen with black mambas. In fact, it is believed that 100% of all black mamba bites, or slightly under that rate, use venom. They also have long teeth that penetrate deeply through clothes and then flesh. If a person is bitten by a black mamba, there is little question about it: their life is in serious danger.
Mortality Rate
The black mamba’s venom is so dangerous and can act upon the human body so quickly, that it has a 100% mortality rate if it is not treated with a full course of antivenom. These attacks usually happen somewhat far from urban areas in which a person can seek competent help. Furthermore, the rapid onset of symptoms prevents a lone person from getting the help they need. Even if a person is given a full course of antivenom, they still have a 14% chance of dying as a result of the bites. The black mamba has an incredibly powerful venom that makes it the world’s most dangerous snake.
Other Factors That Make Black Mamba the World’s Most Dangerous Snake
Venom alone isn’t enough to make a snake dangerous or we would be talking about one of the taipans or sea snakes. Instead, we are going to delve deeper into factors that make the black mamba so very hazardous. You’ll see how a combination of factors leads to black mambas being deadly.
Aggression
The black mamba is a very aggressive snake that would sooner attack humans than flee. When it is cornered or feels threatened, it will strike humans with its deadly bites. The interesting thing about the black mamba is that it does not deliver just one bite. It will bite the person several times, delivering vast amounts of venom into the victim’s system. While a rattlesnake might bite a person once to get them to leave, a black mamba will keep biting as long as the person is in range.
Speed
Most snakes are rather slow except when striking. Unfortunately, the black mamba can move at about 7 mph and strike much, much faster. That means the snake moves about as fast as the average person jogs. A black mamba will chase a person down to kill them. However, their speed does make getting away from one that feels threatened a bit more difficult.
Ability To Land Bites on the Upper Body
Black mambas are long snakes. In fact, they are the second-longest venomous snake in the world, only behind the king cobra. Growing up to 14-feet long makes the black mamba a very formidable snake. The more worrisome element is that it can lift up to 40% of its body off the ground. That means a black mamba can slither out of its hiding space and deliver several bites to a person’s upper body. The venom will have a much shorter distance to reach vital organs. As a result, people suffer from increased health complications from these bites than snakes who bite ankles. The unique physiology of the black mamba along with its behaviors increase the danger posed by this venomous snake.
The World’s Most Dangerous Snake is Not the Deadliest
The black mamba is the world’s most dangerous snake due to its massive potential to inflict harm upon people. However, it’s not the deadliest snake in the world by any measure. The black mamba doesn’t bite as many people as Russell’s viper or other members of the Big 4 in India. While the chances of a person surviving a bite are rather low, relatively few people are bitten by the black mamba. Fortunately, this snake lives far away from the most highly populated places. The same cannot be said about the snakes that live in the Indian subcontinent. In that area, over a billion people share land that is rife with deadly snakes. While the black mamba is not even in the top 10 snakes in terms of being the deadliest, it has far more potential to kill people than other snakes. We should be collectively thankful that the black mamba is not more prevalent in the world today.
