Today, scientists know the species of snakes, 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, the locals know her firsthand.
The fastest snake, whose speed can exceed 20 km / h, prefers life in the savannah and steppes, but often visits the homes of people living in African countries. It is noteworthy that the existing myth that the black mamba can pursue the victim for a long time is just a fiction. She can move at great speed, but only for short distances. In this article, we will look at what is the fastest snake in the world, where it lives, how it moves and the structure of the body.
Habitats
The black mamba is an exclusively African species of snake. It is distributed throughout Africa, but it is most preferred in arid areas. Southern and Eastern parts of the mainland. The main habitats are savannas and woodlands. Mostly the fastest snake leads a terrestrial lifestyle, but sometimes climbs trees. The black mamba has a very wide range of habitats. 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 savannahs, among small bushes. Often, in order to bask in the sun, she climbs a tree, but spends most of her life on the ground. In rare cases, the reptile settles in termite mounds and hollow trees. In addition, there are numerous cases when the fastest snake settled in people's houses. 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 it got its name? Not everyone knows the answer to this question. This reptile got its name not for the color of the body, but for the peculiarity of the mouth, which gives it a creepy appearance and mortal danger to humans. The size of the fastest snake makes it the second largest venomous 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 thisthe reptile bears this name, but its color is far from black. She got her name for the unusual jet-black color of her mouth. The body of the snake itself has a dark olive tint with a metallic sheen. At the same time, the back part, closer to the end of the tail, is darker than the rest of the body. The belly of the black mamba has a light brown color. Adults have a darker body color, juveniles are much lighter.
Black mamba skull
Like other types of snakes, this reptile has a diapsid-type skull with reduced temporal arches. In addition, it is also kinetic, which indicates the possibility of moving the bones apart. This function is especially important when swallowing food. The bones of the cranium are divided into a number of types: square, temporal, squamous and bones of the upper jaw. The jaws, both upper and lower, are separated by ligaments with good elasticity. They are also movably connected to each other, thanks to which the black mamba is able to swallow prey that exceeds the size of the mouth.
Jaws and teeth
The black mamba has well-developed teeth, which are both on the upper and lower jaws. The teeth are 6.5 mm long. They are thin and very sharp. This is necessary to gradually push food into the esophagus.
It is noteworthy that the jaws and teeth of this reptile, like those of other species of snakes, are not designed for chewing function. In addition to small sharp teeth,performing the function of directing food, the black mamba has long poisonous teeth. They are hollow and directly connected to the glands that produce the poison. When a bite occurs, poison is injected through the poisonous teeth into the body of the victim. An interesting fact here is that the black mamba, unlike other poisonous snakes, does not make one bite, but a series for which it is able to 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 closely at it, it may seem that the reptile is smiling. But this smile does not add to her prettiness. Having met with 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 it hits the vein area, then the poison will be fatal in a few minutes.
Spine
Since this reptile does not have developed limbs, there are no specific sections in its spine. It has increased flexibility, uniformity and great 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 snake species, is absent. Thanks to this feature, the snake can coil as much as its length allows.
Limbs
Like other species, the limbs of the world's fastest snakeatrophied. However, experts who examined several individuals from different parts of Africa found that snakes that live in the northern part of the mainland have minor rudiments of the pelvic bones. They are more pronounced than in the southern inhabitants.
How the black mamba moves
The black mamba, like many other similar snake species, moves in two main ways. The first way is the so-called accordion movement. The reptile gathers the whole body together, then burying its tail on the surface of the earth, repels itself and, thanks to this, moves forward. After this movement, she pulls the back of her body, gathering into a ball again.
The second method of movement is caterpillar movement. With this method, the black mamba moves in a straight line and overcomes various crevices. It is noteworthy that it is when driving on a flat, straight surface that it is able to develop its record high speed. When the snake moves in this way, it engages the ventral scales, plunging them into the ground. When the scales are underground, the reptile moves them towards the tail with the help of muscles. As a result, the scales in turn are repelled from the surface of the soil and set the body of the snake in motion. According to experts, with its movement of scales, this method resembles rowing with oars.
