Here's the reason they're called black mambas. From Namibia, shot out of a tree by PH John Wambach with a .22 with 1 shot. Then he shot the branch which the tip of the mamba's tail had curled around. Steve

We saw one about that same size in Namibia. In fact the PH stepped over it just before this photo was taken. That made for an interesting few minutes as he looked down between his legs and saw it. It took a magazine of .338 Win. just after this photo was taken.



The PH told us it was a small one... did you get that sense from your PH? He claimed they could reach 12 to 14 feet (4 meters).

Kyler

The one in the photos was about 7 ft. long (I'm 6'4"). We thought he was medium sized. Steve

Here's hoping I never have to deal with one of those!

I've occasionally seen them around 4 metres long in the Steenbokpan & Ellisras areas of RSA - but don't usually kill any snake unless they're in camp ....... I've always believed I'm the intruder in their territory when in the bush - and they have every right to be there.... but the opposite applies when they come into camp.

Snakes are part of what makes the African bush what it is........ so why kill 'em.

...... but hey, to each, his own.

Shakari, you are right, of course. I try to encourage visitors and neighbors to my property not to kill the timber-rattlers (although I admit an enmity for copperheads and cottonmouths). The day we killed the mamba, we had been hunting hard for about 5 days without seeing any game and the urge to do something was high in all of us. So we did something that we could have as easily not done. We did, however, skin the snake for a belt.

Good pics. Saw a horned adder in Limpopo last year. 7 people stepped over it. I was last in line and saw it. We were trailing bow hit zebra. Absolutely beautiful snake. We did not kill it. I can't figure out how to attach pics to these posts. Not been on board too long.

I don't think I've ever seen a mamba skin belt - but would be very interested to see some pics.

Kudu4u - Many years ago, I was hunting with Mama Shakari and as she was walking along in front of me, I glanced down just in time to see her foot going down on a puff adder - didn't have time to stop her, so I let her walk over it and then called her back to see what she just stood on...... jeez, she's never let me forget it! -

you'll find instructions on how to post pics on the hunting report forum - but if you get stuck, just send them to me and I'll be happy to do it for you.........

There is a DVD called Adrenaline on the Bowsite forums that has video of a black mamba dropping into a pit blind with the hunter still in it. It's quite intensive as you might imagine! Gives me the creeps.

There is an Italian hunter in Tanzania named Massimo. Nice guy. A few years ago he and a client were following a wounded buffalo in the Selous and they stopped at mid day to take a nap. A while later Massimo got up and looked over to see his client sleeping and poised over the client, looking down at the snoring client, was a big black Mamba.

Massimo went towards the snake with the idea of shooting it and the snake saw him and came for him. Massimo fired at it and then backed up and couldn't figure why the snake kept right with him. Then he realized it had bitten his hand and was being dragged along. Its fangs were in his hand.

He shook the snake off and sat down to die. His great worry was that he could not find a pen and piece of paper to write a note to his mother. He started to sweat and looked at his watch. An hour later he looked at it again and realized that he had not died.

Then he looked at his hand. The fangs had gone right through his hand and squirted the venom out the far side. He lived.

He showed me the healed wound on his hand and it was a big wound right through the hand so it must have been a very big snake.

Had it been a smaller one its likely the fangs would have stayed in his flesh and he would have been poisoned and died. They were three hours from a vehicle.

VBR,


Ted Gorsline

quote:

I've occasionally seen them around 4 metres long in the Steenbokpan & Ellisras areas of RSA - but don't usually kill any snake unless they're in camp ....... I've always believed I'm the intruder in their territory when in the bush - and they have every right to be there.... but the opposite applies when they come into camp.

Snakes are part of what makes the African bush what it is........ so why kill 'em.

Ahh, refreshing attitude Shakari! I believe many are killed due to ignorance and the 'wives-tales' that abound. If one just opened a decent snake reference most of the bull that surrounds venemous snakes would disppear!! But then I am a snake fan...

kudu4u, where in Limpopo did you see the horned adder? Very interesting!

Hi Ted, with all respect I find the above story difficult to believe for a few reasons... Firstly, mambas are members of family Elapidae (cobras and mambas, shieldnose etc). One their defining features is that they are fixed fanged and the fangs are located far forward in the mouth, as can be clearly seen in the photo above. The fangs are unable to move or hinge as they do in the adders (which can have long fangs, up to 40mm in large Gaboon adders). Thus, any fangs over 5 or 6mm in a mamba would be rare. If they were longer they would puncture the snakes bottom jaw when its mouth was closed, or would have to sit outside the bottom jaw like a croc! To go through a mans hand we are taking at least about 25mm/inch (unless it was the thumb web or something)? This is my main point.

Second, apparently most black mambas release about 400-450mg of venom in a typical bite, with 10-12mg being more than sufficient for a healthy adult to check in on their life insurance! In this case the snake (if we can get past step one) must have only envenomated at one point but it seems that there could be residue that would enter his hand when the fangs were pulled out....what may have happened is called a 'dry-bite' where snakes bite but do not in fact envenomate at all. (this one of the great concerns with using anti-venom), so this part is plausible, the fangs through the hand...hmmmmmm. I wasn't there but physiologically, its seems impossible. Not to stir here, I realise you are only relating this story, but felt like I needed to add to this.

You do here some crazy stories from credible sources....I thin famous Tanganyika warden 'Iodine' Ionides survived bites from various Elapidae and was a legendary snake fanatic?

About a hundred years ago, I was staying with Ian Goss in KZN (chief examiner of PHs for the province) - We'd had a fairly boozy evening and eventually we all went to our respective beds.... a few minutes later there was a big fuss in the main house and Ian called us in..... turned out there was a 3 metre python in his daughter's room..... we had a hilarious time catching it but eventually got it in the back of the truck and got the noose and pole tied to a stanchion..... as we were about to drive off, his staffy decided to come along for the ride...... he jumped in the back and landed right on top of the snake! ...... it was like something out of a tom and jerry cartoon - he did a backward somersault and baled out the truck and we didn't see him for the next three days.....Funny as hell and remembering it still makes me smile.

Also had a (HUGE) German client at Ian's camp some years ago, who was very proud of the fact that he had a little white frog in his shower..... one day he went in to get clean, and halfway through a spitting cobra emerged from the plug hole.... it had eaten the frog and them shot down the drain and only came out when it filled up with water....... The German took one look at it and was straight out the shower, through the bedroom and out the door into the garden..... taking both doors off their hinges as he went! - then he ran straight into two of the Zulu ladies and knocked them flat on their backs -they took one look at this mad, naked, soapy, hulking great German and just fell apart laughing......

We were about 15-20 K west of Messina on the road to Pontdriff. The closest resort is Dongala. Was hunting with outfitter Ken Moody and the PH was Nico Neuhoff who is tremendous.
Wonder if the horned adder is somewhat rare?

Hi, please see my updated post above...

Shakari...we arrived at Ian's main camp one night to find one maid with a broken 'Sakhile' (knobkerrie) looking quite concerned...we all look at each other, laughed and said 'snake in the kitchen'! Spitting cobra behind the fridge. One German PH course student ended up cutting its head off with a bread knife while someone held its tail on the other side of the reed walls!!!! I still laugh every time I see that pic. Oh yes, two guys got venom in the face!!!

Had one (actually a few)of those python episodes in Hoedspruit, it jambed itslef between the cd player and amplifier in the lodge and got quite pissed (as African Rock pythons get all too often!). Perhaps it liked the lodges 'african elevator music'

I have abuch of snake storeis, we should all put them down sometime and then post them...will be a riot!

Damn I miss the bush right now ...only one more year....!

Kudu4u, I was just interesed as that seems to be the very eastern edge of its ditribution, they are much more common in the Northern Cape, Northwest province , Karroo and Klein Karoo, nice sighting!

I think a few of us need to get together round a campfire with a few bottles to make notes before we do it!

Folks,

Here is the pic Kudu4u was trying to post:-



And here we have my attempts with a very hurried photoshop crop etc:-

quote:

I think a few of us need to get together round a campfire with a few bottles to make notes before we do it!

Damn right!!!!!

Nice pix, is there a close up of the head at all. That looks like a really nice sized one too, no doubt a big fat female!

The single horned has much lrger distribution that the many horned.

I was in the klein karro once with guy from percy Fitzpatrick institute who was also a snake buf...he caught a beautiful horned adder and was very adept at finding them and pointing them out.

Like most small adders, they get really grump and pissed off really quickly!!! But are of no real concern unless stick your finger in their face! Not lethal, but bloody unpleasant. I think a N American equivalnet may be a copperhead? (a mate of mine from highschool had some copperheads (they are common with collectors in SA) and got bitten on the finger, took weeks to heal and remained disfigured for months!!)

Thats the only one I have at the moment - but I'll be happy to post more if kudu4u has any more........

Some of the guys here may well know Hennie De Jager at Wilton Valley RSA. He has some pics of a snake (I can't remember what though) that his staff found in the bush..... they killed it and cut it open and it had a puff adder (I think) in it it's stomach - they cut that open and found she was carrying a whole shed load of babies...... total body count was something like 8 or 10 snakes...... bloody shame really as they were all in the bush at the time and not bothering anyone......

Kayaker I am sending you a PM with my other 3 shots of the horned adder. You may post if you wish. Please let me know if they don't make it and I bet Shakari would then kindly post them for us. I believe the snake is multi-horn. If I get to go back to Africa you can bet I will do a camera upgrade!

Jeff

It'll be my pleasure!

Anyone got a direct link to that mamba video? I'm enjoying the snake thread.

Jeff

If you're talking about the mamba video I referenced, it is only on a DVD not online to my knowledge. The crazy hunter (who owns and runs Bowsite) pokes the mamba with a very short stick! There are some long nervous moments I can tell ya...it crawls into the roof and they can't find it for awhile...then they find it in a very strange place. Still creeps me out.

quote:

Originally posted by kudu4u:
Anyone got a direct link to that mamba video? I'm enjoying the snake thread.

Jeff

You guys can all have fun with your pets. To me they are fair game for death, same as the elephant I may be hunting. To each his own, just don't expect me to enjoy your fun.

Here is the horned adder compared to the width of my .338 Rem. M700. Trying to attacht he picture. To all who have helped me attach photos--THANKS!


Jeff [/IMG]

Let's try again.

African Hunter just to kindly tease you a bit here is the other picture. Hope it attaches.

Jeff

Thinking about how many of mamba bites that are dry?
Some species are known to have a higher percentage of dry bites (I.e. cobras) than other species if I recall correctly. I have not heard of any dry mamba bite as of today, and the massive envenomation commonly (10-20 times the lethal dose per bite & the mamba can & will strike multiple times) produces quick symptoms and even with proper antivenom at place it is not enough with one box of antivenom. IV-treatment and anaphylactic treatment is also most vital for survival. According to the articles I have read it is most often needed 10-15 bags of antivenom and in the most extreme case 22 bags was needed to save the bitten person.

How common are dry bites from mambas, adders and other snakes?

I don't know the exact ratio of dry vs. envenomation bites in the US except that envenomation probably approaches 90& or better. Our eastern diamondbacks have a high fatality rate. Also, it is my understanding that in our pit vipers (rattlers, copperheads, cottonmouths) envenomation is actually VOLUNTARY! While our elapid species (coral snake) is involuntary as it chews when it bites thus forcing venom. Mambas and cobras are also elapids. Someone else may have more info than this. Please kindly post as I would enjoy the info.
Jeff

Have there been survivors of mamba bites? What about the green mamba that you don't hear much about?

This is a poor picture, but here's a boomslange s local had killed with a stick outside a lodge on the Quando River in the Caprivi. The boomslange is "rear-fanged" and not aggressive (or so I read), but its poison ranks up near the top in le thality.

I saw several Puff Adders ( one was killed by Mongoose) while there and one BIG python up near the Limpopo River, and a small spitting cobra as well. The hired hands were digging up a large tree trunk and root system in the front yard when all of a sudden we heard all of them making a big commotion.. Come to find out, the cobra didn't enjoy having his home dug up and came out of his hole quite pissed off!!
Anyways, ask and you shall receive!! Here is the link to the Mamba video that several people have mentioned.. Quite a hairy expirence to have!!!

Whats the pucker factor on this one? Scroll down to the bottom of the page on the link.

http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/features/LIVEHUNTS/Leopard2004/INDEX.CFM?DAY=8

Scottyboy, THANKS!!!, Great Video!!!

Ahh, there it is. It's the only video I have ever seen of something like that. Pretty wild and Pat (the guy in it) will be the first to tell you how stupid he was.

Thanks so much for the videos. I will look under my bed tonight--and I live in Tennessee.

That's another plus for Alaska...no snakes. For all of you who seem to like them, you can have my share too. Snakes are interesting but they need to stay away from me. I would rather be around bears, wolves, etc. than cobras, mambas, etc.

Gents

Some links on mamba bites and treatments as provided by google:

treatment of mamba bites
Antivenom manufacturers

More antivenom producers

Black mamba antivenom

Pharmacys that hold black mamba antivenom, europe

Mavin centre, Munich

bitten by mamba, survived without antivenom!!!

If You do a search on google with the keywords "dendroaspis polylepis" and look for full text medical articles I guess that most of the myths and rumors can be avoided.

Sincerely
Daniel

Dear Kayaker,

I have no reason to disbelieve Massimo. He showed me his hand and he had a wound but maybe it was a dog bite. I just forget the location but I think it was a web between fingers but not of the thumb and forefinger. I will ask him again when I see him and see where it was. I remember thinking the wound was from a bigger tooth than I thought it would be.


VBR,


Ted

I Know that if you are envenomate you are in trouble, but what are the chances of being bitten. I ask this becuse I'm planning to take may family to Africa in 2007 for a hunt and vacation. My children (all four of them) will be 5 years old. I know that they will be into every thing. Anyway snakes are my bigest concern, is this a missplaced fear, should I bring a polyvalent antivenom with us.

Dr B

Everyone makes a big deal about snakes, but the chances of being bitten are very remote. The best rule with snakes is to leave them alone. They can't eat you, so they have no reason to bite you except to protect themselves. I know in the US and Australia that almost everyone that gets bit was either handling or trying to kill the snake. I've been VERY close to some of the "aggressive snakes, black mambas, tai-pans, mulgas, rattlesnakes, mocassins and they were all trying to get away from me as fast as they could, with the exception of one small female(figures) copperhead. I interupted her in the middle of copulation, the smaller male was obviously done and ready for a nap, she however was not and was she ever pissed off at me!