Western Green Mamba

A dull green to light blue snake snake mottled with black and yellow, that inhabits coastal and tropical forest.

Full Name: Western Green Mamba (Dendroaspis viridis)

Classification: HIGHLY VENOMOUS

Map indicating the distribution of the Western Green Mamba (Dendroaspis viridis) in Africa

A dull green to light blue snake snake mottled with black and yellow, that inhabits coastal and tropical forest.

The scales are enlarged and black edged. Each scale on the head is also edged with black.

This snake averages 1.8 m, but may reach 2.3 m. It is often confused with harmless green snakes of the genus Philothamnus and the green Boomslang.

The Western Green Mamba spends most of its life in dense vegetation where it hunts for tree-living mammals as well as birds during the day. It may venture to the ground to bask or move to a new tree.

Its venom is potently neurotoxic. Antivenom is effective but bites are quite rare as it is a shy snake.

African Snakebite Institute