You're camping, and it's dusk.
As you gather firewood,
one of the sticks moves.
It's not a stick. It's a deadly a black mamba.
The snake raises its head
more than 1 m (4 ft) off the ground.
It strikes like lightning,
attacking you again and again,
then slithers away.
What could you do to survive?
Here's
The Black Mamba, AKA Kobe Bryant,
stood at the height of,
wait.
That's the wrong black mamba.
Found throughout eastern and
southern regions of Africa,
the black mamba snake
is one of the most feared,
most deadly snakes in the world.
And it may try to intimidate you
by extending its neck flaps.
At full speed,
a black mamba can travel
at 19 km/h (12 mph).
That's faster than most people can run.
They're also the longest
venomous snake in Africa,
and the second longest in the world,
averaging 2.4 m (8 ft) long.
But they have grown up to 4.3 m (14 ft).
If you want to survive your trip to Africa,
you might be wondering about a few things.
In 2017, a black mamba knotted itself
around a Kenyan woman's leg.
As she tried to get it off,
it bit her three times.
She passed out before arriving
at the nearest hospital.
It was 45 minutes away.
Luckily, the medical staff had antivenom
and it saved her life.
But what could you do to increase your chance
of surviving a black mamba attack?
Just two drops of black mamba venom
could kill you in as little as 20 minutes.
If you'll be walking through bush or long grass,
a black mamba snake could be there too.
Wearing thick, long clothes such as pants,
a shirt, and a jacket can help protect you.
Wearing hiking or work boots
would help protect your feet and ankles.
Black mambas are territorial,
so don't go looking for a fight.
If you see or hear one, leave it alone.
Do not go near the snake,
and if it tries to escape, let it.
If it feels cornered, you'll face its wrath.
And if you see one that looks dead,
leave it alone too.
Some snakes "play dead" to lure their prey.
These fearsome killers are surprisingly shy.
They like places where they can hide,
rest, and not be disturbed.
This includes lazing under rocks,
inside dead tree stumps, and under logs.
They also like caves and empty termite mounds.
But they hunt during the day, so watch out.
The inside of their mouths are blue-black,
but a black mamba's body is a brownish color,
ranging from olive to greyish tones,
with paler bellies.
You were so busy watching for one snake
that you didn't see the others.
Although they're usually loners,
you might encounter two,
or a small group, of black mambas.
This is hard, but if it bites you,
staying calm can help you stay alive.
You'll want your breathing and heart rate
to be as slow as possible,
to slow the venom's spread through your body.
If a black mamba bites someone else,
help keep their breathing stable as well.
Remove any clothing, rings, necklaces,
and other objects
that could constrict their breathing.
Within 20 minutes, toxins starts acting
on the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
You might pass out or become paralyzed.
And without antivenom,
you're guaranteed to die.
Scientists have developed an antivenom
that counteracts the 10
most venomous snakes in Africa.
It has to be injected into your veins
because muscles don't absorb it well.
It’s important not to inject
into or around the bite site.
And you may need equipment to help you
breathe while the antivenom takes effect.
Whew!
You're lucky.
Friends got you to a hospital,
and they had the antivenom,
and over time,
the antivenom will ease your muscle paralysis.
You're going to live.
And even though black mamba snakes are big,
other reptiles are much, much bigger.
Could you survive an encounter
with a crocodile?
Well, death roll over and watch
How to Survive a Crocodile Attack,
right here on