Western green mambas can reach a length of up to eight feet.

A collection of bright, green scales is just one of the many notable things about this snake. It can also travel through its tropical forest or savanna habitat at an average speed of 7mph! The western green mamba consumes a diet of birds, squirrels, and mice. It has potent venom with the potential to cause death.

4 Western Green Mamba Amazing Facts

• These snakes sleep on tree branches surrounded by leaf cover
• The symptoms of this snake’s venom begin to occur within 15 minutes of the bite
• Newly hatched snakelets can be as long as 17 inches
• They have impressive speed both in trees and on the ground

Where to Find a Western Green Mamba

This snake lives in the western part of Africa. It’s found in the countries of Benin, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

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They live in a tropical savanna, mangrove, rainforest, or tropical dry forest habitat. While they spend most of their time in the trees, they are also found on the ground hunting, looking for water, or searching for mates. They are active and most visible during the daylight hours.

Types of Mambas

There are a total of four species of mamba snake. They are members of the Elapidae family.

• Eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps)-The eastern green mamba has bright green scales just like its western counterpart and is very similar in size. A big difference is that the eastern green mamba lives in the eastern part of Africa.
• Black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)-Though western green mambas and black mambas are both African snakes, there are several differences between them. Contrary to its name the black mamba isn’t always black. It can be brownish or gray in color. Also, at up to 14 feet plus, the black mamba is larger in size than the western green mamba.
• Jameson’s mamba (Dendroaspis jamesoni)-The Jameson’s mamba and the western green species are approximately the same size and have green scales. A difference between these snakes is the female Jameson’s mamba usually has a larger number of eggs.

Scientific Name

Dendroaspis viridis is the scientific name of a western green mamba snake. The Latin word Dendroaspis means tree asp and the word viridis means green.

It’s a part of the Elapidae family and the class Reptilia.

Population and Conservation Status

The population information on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species doesn’t include a specific number, but the western green mamba is of Least Concern. It’s thought of as common in many areas and its population is stable.

Appearance and Description

The western green mamba has bright green scales on its back that fade to yellow near its tail. It has yellow scales on its belly. Each of its green scales has a black edge making its pattern even more distinct.

The color of a juvenile’s scales is blue/green until the snake reaches a size of 30 inches. From there, the snake starts to take on the bright green scales of an adult.

This African snake has a long slender body measuring from 4.6 up to 8 feet. Its color and slender structure allow this snake to blend very well into its habitat in the trees. It curls around the branches and adeptly moves through the different levels of a tree. Sometimes this snake remains in the same tree for several days.

Their round eyes have yellowish-brown irises.

How to identify a western green mamba:

• Bright green scales that fade to yellow toward its tapered tail
• Its scales have black edges making the pattern standout
• It has yellow scales on its underside
• A slender, long body perfect for grasping tree branches
• Round eyes with a yellow-brown iris

Western Green Mamba Pictures

Western Green Mamba Venom: How Dangerous Are They?

These snakes are dangerous with potent, fast-acting venom. In fact, the venom begins to cause symptoms in someone who is bitten within about 15 minutes. The fast-acting nature of its venom has resulted in several fatalities.

But, keep in mind, they spend most of their lives high up in the trees. So, humans usually don’t see them much less get bitten by one. Also, this species is considered a shy snake. You may have heard myths about the aggression of mamba snakes. There is even a myth that the black mamba will chase a human in an effort to give them a venomous bite! But factual information about this reptile shows the western green and the other species of mambas are most likely to try to escape when threatened.

The first step to take if bitten is to get to a hospital for antivenom. The bite wound should be snugly wrapped along with the upper part of the person’s affected arm or leg. Keeping the wounded limb as still as possible is an essential part of the care in this situation.

Western Green Mamba Behavior and Humans

These snakes live high up in trees occasionally coming down to hunt for prey. Consequently, humans and western green mambas rarely interact. Also, these snakes are shy and move away from possible encounters with people.

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