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Black MambaDendroaspis polylepis

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Black Mamba profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 49 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Dendroaspis polylepis (black mamba). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysIts scales are olive-brown, but the inky black mouth it flashes when cornered
The source sayscan be olive, brownish, gray, or sometimes khaki in color ... The inside of the mouth is a dark blue to "inky" black color ... A cornered black mamba will raise its head far off the ground, open its mouth
The page saysWooded savanna, rocky hills, and riverine forest in south and east Africa
The source saysBlack mambas are common in sub-Saharan areas of south and east Africa. ... individuals prefer wooded savannah, rocky hills, or riverine forests with rocks or downed trees that provide cover
The page saysRodents, hyraxes, squirrels, and occasional birds
The source saysBlack mambas feed mostly on small mammals, including rodents, squirrels, and dassies or hyraxes. They also take birds occasionally.
The page saysbacked by speeds of up to 20 km/h (12.5 mph)
The source saysBlack mambas are capable of relatively high speeds, up to 20 km/h (about 12.5mph)
The page saysBlack on the Inside
The source saysContrary to their common name, black mambas are not actually black. ... The inside of the mouth is a dark blue to "inky" black color.
The page saysThe black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is not black. Its scales run olive, brown, grey or sometimes khaki
The source saysContrary to their common name, black mambas are not actually black. Dendroaspis polylepis can be olive, brownish, gray, or sometimes khaki in color.
The page sayswhich is dark blue to inky black and gets flashed as a threat display when the snake is cornered
The source saysThe inside of the mouth is a dark blue to "inky" black color. ... A cornered black mamba will raise its head far off the ground, open its mouth, expand a narrow hood, flick its tongue and hiss before striking.
The page saysAdults typically run 2.2 to 2.7 metres (about 7 to 9 feet) long
The source saysadults are 2.0 to 3.0 m, with an average length of 2.2 to 2.7mNote: 7 to 9 feet is a metric-to-imperial conversion of 2.2-2.7 m, not a separate figure from the source.
The page saysIt can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h (12.5 mph), carrying as much as a third of its body off the ground as it goes
The source saysBlack mambas are capable of relatively high speeds, up to 20 km/h (about 12.5mph), traveling with up to a third of its body raised off the ground.
The page saysa black mamba is shy by nature and would usually rather retreat than fight
The source saysDendroaspis polylepis are shy and secretive. They prefer to avoid confrontation but will become aggressive when threatened. ... If the intruder slowly moves away from the mamba, the snake will usually retreat. ... preferring to flee from danger when threatened.
The page saysand it can be fatal
The source saysStrikes will be numerous and rapid, and can be fatal to humans.
The page saysBuilt to Hunt, and on Its Own From Birth
The source saysThe young must fend for themselves directly from birth.
The page saysA black mamba hunts mostly rodents, hyraxes, squirrels and the occasional bird, striking and then waiting for the venom to work before swallowing its prey
The source saysBlack mambas feed mostly on small mammals, including rodents, squirrels, and dassies or hyraxes. They also take birds occasionally. Black mambas strike once or twice and wait for the prey to become paralyzed and die before swallowing them.
The page saysIt ranges across savanna, rocky hills and riverine forest from Eritrea south to South Africa and west to Namibia
The source saysBlack mambas are common in sub-Saharan areas of south and east Africa. They can be found as far north as Eritrea, through South Africa, and as far west as Namibia. ... individuals prefer wooded savannah, rocky hills, or riverine forests
The page sayswhere it is left undisturbed, it keeps a permanent lair to return to
The source saysIf undisturbed, D. polylepis will maintain a permanent lair to which it returns when not hunting, basking, mating, or seeking refuge elsewhere.
The page saysFemales lay their eggs in a burrow or similar spot and abandon them, and the young hatch two to three months later to fend for themselves from the start
The source saysfemales lay anywhere from 6 to 17 eggs, which will hatch within 2 to 3 months. ... she will deposit them in a burrow or other suitable hatching location and then abandon them. The young must fend for themselves directly from birth.
The page saysIt can reach speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour (about 12.5 miles per hour), carrying as much as a third of its body off the ground as it goes.
The source saysBlack mambas are capable of relatively high speeds, up to 20 km/h (about 12.5mph), traveling with up to a third of its body raised off the ground.
The page saysThat is quick for a snake, but a black mamba is shy at heart: given the choice, it usually retreats rather than fights.
The source saysDendroaspis polylepis are shy and secretive. They prefer to avoid confrontation ... the snake will usually retreat. ... Black mambas are capable of relatively high speeds ... preferring to flee from danger when threatened.
The page saysshy by nature and would usually rather retreat than fight
The source saysDendroaspis polylepis are shy and secretive. They prefer to avoid confrontation but will become aggressive when threatened. ... If the intruder slowly moves away from the mamba, the snake will usually retreat. ... preferring to flee from danger when threatened.Note: vibe.reason (#692/#693)
The page saysspeeds of up to 20 km/h with as much as a third of its body off the ground
The source saysBlack mambas are capable of relatively high speeds, up to 20 km/h (about 12.5mph), traveling with up to a third of its body raised off the ground.Note: vibe.reason (#692/#693)

Source
02

National Geographic

Black mamba. National Geographic.

The page saysthe name comes instead from the inside of its mouth
The source saysThey get their name not from their skin color, which tends to be olive to gray, but rather from the blue-black color of the inside of their mouth, which they display when threatened.
The page saysthe biggest reach up to 14 feet (about 4.3 metres)
The source saysreaching up to 14 feet in lengthNote: 4.3 metres is a conversion of 14 feet. "Africa's longest venomous snake" was cut in the final pass: a record resting on a reference work alone.
The page saysit is light, weighing up to about 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds)
The source saysWeight : Up to 3.5 poundsNote: 1.6 kg is a conversion of 3.5 lb, matching the profile's own battleStats.weightKg. AnAge lists an adult weight of 30,758 g, which cannot be right for a snake of this length and is not used.
The page saysreach speeds of up to 20 km/h (12.5 mph)
The source saysThey are also among the fastest snakes in the world, slithering at speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour.Note: Current corroboration for the 2005 ADW speed figure.
The page saysthough encroachment on its territory is putting pressure on it and bringing it into more potentially dangerous contact with people
The source saysEncroachment on the black mamba's territory is not only putting pressure on the species but contributes to more potentially dangerous human contact with these snakes.
The page saysIts skin tends to be olive to grey, not black. It gets its name from the blue-black inside of its mouth, which it shows off when threatened.
The source saysThey get their name not from their skin color, which tends to be olive to gray, but rather from the blue-black color of the inside of their mouth, which they display when threatened.
The page saysCornered, a black mamba raises its head, sometimes with a third of its body off the ground, spreads a cobra-like neck flap, opens its black mouth and hisses.
The source sayswhen cornered, these snakes will raise their heads, sometimes with a third of their body off the ground, spread their cobra-like neck-flap, open their black mouths, and hiss.

Source
03

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database

AnAge entry for Dendroaspis polylepis. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database.

The page saysIn captivity, black mambas have lived as long as 26.2 years
The source saysMaximum longevity 26.2 years (captivity)Note: Supersedes the older Animal Diversity Web captive record of 11 years (docs/fact-check.md, "Check the date"); ADW's figure is not used on the page.
The page saysthe young hatch two to three months later
The source saysIncubation 85 daysNote: Current corroboration for the 2005 ADW incubation figure: 85 days falls within two to three months.

Source
04

Branch et al. 2021

Branch et al. (2021). Dendroaspis polylepis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T177584A15627370.

The page saysThe IUCN rates the species Least Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).

Source
05

Laustsen et al. 2015

Laustsen et al. (2015). Unveiling the nature of black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) venom through venomics and antivenom immunoprofiling: Identification of key toxin targets for antivenom development. Journal of Proteomics.

The page saysbacks a venom that attacks the nervous system two ways at once
The source saysα-neurotoxins, which induce post-synaptic blockade of the neuromuscular junctions, followed by dendrotoxins, which inhibit the voltage-dependent potassium channels. The combination of these two types of toxins in the venom underscores the presence of a dual strategy
The page saysVenom that attacks the nervous system two ways at once
The source saysα-neurotoxins, which induce post-synaptic blockade of the neuromuscular junctions, followed by dendrotoxins, which inhibit the voltage-dependent potassium channels. The combination of these two types of toxins in the venom underscores the presence of a dual strategy
The page saysneurotoxins that block nerve-muscle signals
The source saysα-neurotoxins, which induce post-synaptic blockade of the neuromuscular junctions
The page saysA Venom With Two Ways to Kill
The source saysAssessment of acute toxicity revealed that the most lethal components were α-neurotoxins and, to a lower extent, dendrotoxins.
The page saysThe venom's other major weapon is a set of alpha-neurotoxins
The source saysThe most abundant proteins were Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitors, which include the unique mamba venom components 'dendrotoxins', and α-neurotoxins and other representatives of the three-finger toxin family.
The page saysThe alpha-neurotoxins are the deadlier of the two, with dendrotoxins second
The source saysAssessment of acute toxicity revealed that the most lethal components were α-neurotoxins and, to a lower extent, dendrotoxins.
The page saystogether they make a two-pronged attack for bringing down prey
The source saysThe combination of these two types of toxins in the venom underscores the presence of a dual strategy that results in a highly effective mechanism for prey subduction.
The page saysIn people, a bite brings on severe nerve symptoms fast
The source saysThe rapid onset and severity of neurotoxic clinical manifestations in envenomings by D. polylepis
The page saysFast. A black mamba bite brings on severe nerve symptoms that set in rapidly.
The source saysThe rapid onset and severity of neurotoxic clinical manifestations in envenomings by D. polylepis
The page saysThe deadliest toxins in the venom are alpha-neurotoxins, which block the junctions where nerves signal muscles, followed by dendrotoxins, which jam potassium channels.
The source saysThe proteins showing highest acute toxicity were α-neurotoxins, which induce post-synaptic blockade of the neuromuscular junctions, followed by dendrotoxins, which inhibit the voltage-dependent potassium channels.

Source
06

Ainsworth et al. 2018

Ainsworth et al. (2018). The medical threat of mamba envenoming in sub-Saharan Africa revealed by genus-wide analysis of venom composition, toxicity and antivenomics profiling of available antivenoms. Journal of Proteomics.

The page saysBlack mamba venom is unusual even among its own relatives.
The source saysWhereas the green mambas, D. viridis, D. angusticeps, D. j. jamesoni and D. j. kaimosae, express 3FTx-predominant venoms, black mamba (D. polylepis) venom is dominated by dendrotoxins I and K. ... this major difference in venom composition
The page saysWhile green mambas carry venom dominated by three-finger toxins, the black mamba's is dominated by dendrotoxins
The source saysthe green mambas, D. viridis, D. angusticeps, D. j. jamesoni and D. j. kaimosae, express 3FTx-predominant venoms, black mamba (D. polylepis) venom is dominated by dendrotoxins I and K

Source
07

Harvey & Robertson 2004

Harvey & Robertson (2004). Dendrotoxins: Structure-Activity Relationships and Effects on Potassium Ion Channels. Current Medicinal Chemistry.

The page saysdendrotoxins that jam nerve potassium channels
The source saysthey block particular subtypes of voltage-dependent potassium channels of the Kv1 subfamily in neurones
The page saysa family of proteins built on the same scaffold as some enzyme blockers, but with little or none of that blocking power
The source saysthey are homologous to Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitors, such as aprotinin (BPTI). The dendrotoxins have little or no anti-protease activity
The page saysInstead, dendrotoxins jam potassium channels in nerve cells.
The source saysThe dendrotoxins have little or no anti-protease activity, but they block particular subtypes of voltage-dependent potassium channels of the Kv1 subfamily in neurones
The page saystoxin K, blocks a nerve-cell potassium channel at picomolar concentrations, an almost vanishingly small amount
The source saystoxin K, also from the black mamba Dendroaspis polylepis, preferentially blocks Kv1.1 channels and is active at picomolar concentrations

Source
08

Tsetlin 1999

Tsetlin (1999). Snake venom alpha-neurotoxins and other 'three-finger' proteins. European Journal of Biochemistry.

The page saysthree-finger toxins that block the acetylcholine receptors nerves use to signal muscles
The source sayssnake venom alpha-neurotoxins which target different muscle-type and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptorsNote: snake-1999 reviews alpha-neurotoxins across snakes; unveiling-2015 states that the black mamba's own alpha-neurotoxins "induce post-synaptic blockade of the neuromuscular junctions", which is the blocking.

Source
09

Diochot et al. 2012

Diochot et al. (2012). Black mamba venom peptides target acid-sensing ion channels to abolish pain. Nature.

The page saysThe same venom also carries peptides called mambalgins, which block ASICs, acid-sensing channels widely considered key players in the pain pathway
The source saysAcid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are generally considered principal players in the pain pathway ... a new class of three-finger peptides from another snake, the black mamba, is able to abolish pain through inhibition of ASICs
The page saysIn mice they can dull pain as strongly as morphine, with much less tolerance buildup and no breathing trouble
The source saysThese peptides, which we call mambalgins, are not toxic in mice but show a potent analgesic effect upon central and peripheral injection that can be as strong as morphine. This effect is, however, resistant to naloxone, and mambalgins cause much less tolerance than morphine and no respiratory distress.

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.