Black Mamba Attacks a Viper

Watch this rare encounter with a black mamba and a viper. The black mamba seems to be attacking the viper, probably motivated by food. We explore why these two are among the world’s mpst feared snakes. Who will win? Keep reading to find out my prediction!

Black Mamba

The black mamba is one of the wolrd deadliest snakes. Their venom is primarily nerutoxic affecting the nervous system, leading to paralysis and potentially fatal respiratory failure if untreated. A bite from a black mamba can kill humans within a few hours.

Scientist use the median lethal dose to describe the level of toxitiy among snakes. The median lethal dose (LD50) of Black Mamba venom is approxiately 0.25 mg/kg when injected intravenously in mice. This indicates that black mambas have a high level of toxictiy.

Gaboon Viper

The gaboon viper is known for its distinctive pattern that helps it camouflage against the forest floor. This species of viper is among the most dangerous of the viper family, because of its potent venom. They are found in rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa.

The vemon of the Gaboon Viper is primarily hemotoxic. Meaning it disrupts the blood’s clotting ability causing internal bleeding. Additionally, it has necrotic effects on tissues and can affect the cardiovascular system.

The venom of a Gaboon Viper has a relatively low LD50 (1.0-2.0 mg/kg), however it is not as potent as black mamba venom. However a gaboon viper is capable of delivering up to 600 mg in a single bite, far more than most other venomous snakes.

The Video

In the video, the black mamba seems to be attacking the gaboon viper. It seems that food might have motivated the attack. What do you think happened in the end?

Viper vs Black Mamba

Although the video does not show what happened to the gaboon viper, its likely the viper came off second best.

Both the black mamba and gaboon viper have highly venomous bits. However the vemon affects the body in different ways. The black mamba has a lower LD50 than the gaboon viper and thus the black mamba’s venom is considered more potent than that of the gaboon viper.

However, the gaboon viper injects a lot more venom in just one bite than the black mamba. When considering which snake is more dangerous there are multiple factors to consider. Both snakes are extremely dangerous and would require immediate mediacl attention in the event of a bite.

Given the black mamba bit the viper multiple times, it probably killed the viper.

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• Watch Leopard in Action While Black Mamba is Wrapped Around Eagle (Video)
• All You Need to Know About the Lethal Black Mamba Bite
• What To Do If Bitten By Black Mamba

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Cayla de Souza, M.Sc. Ocean Sciences & Marine Biology

Author at Animals Around The Globe. MSc Ocean Sciences & Marine Biology

Cayla comes from a small coastal town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, near the renowned diving destination Aliwal Shoal, where her deep-seated passion for the ocean first took root. Family trips to the Kruger National Park are some of her favorite memories; there’s nothing quite like being surrounded by wildlife. These experiences inspired her to study the natural world and its creatures, a path she's been on for the past 5 years. She attained her undergraduate and honors degrees in marine biology and recently completed her master's degree in applied ocean sciences, majoring in oceanography.

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