Namibia snake ID help request (1 Viewer)

[smuldal]

Could someone help me identify this fine snake, which I saw on 20 November at Popa Falls near Divundu, Namibia?
The noise of a desperately mobbing red-eyed bulbul drew my attention to it. It seemed to be a little over 2m long, as far as I could judge.
I took lots of photos (no other angles I'm afraid), but I'm beginning to wonder if I should have kept further away from it...

Sylfest Muldal, Oxford, UK

 

[Isurus]

Ooh. A beauty.

Whilst I'm far from certain, my first thought on looking at those was black mamba. behaviour, location and size all fit too. I certainly would've given it a fair bit of room (whilst photographing furiously!)

 

[Dave Kennedy]

Could someone help me identify this fine snake, which I saw on 20 November at Popa Falls near Divundu, Namibia?

Sylfest Muldal, Oxford, UK

It's hard to see the distance betwen eye and snout in your photos. Here are two pictures showing a female Boomslang Dispholidus typus typus. Note the large eye, and how close the eye is to the point of the snout. Can you remember how this compares with your snake?
Dave

 

[smuldal]

It's hard to see the distance betwen eye and snout in your photos. Here are two pictures showing a female Boomslang Dispholidus typus typus. Note the large eye, and how close the eye is to the point of the snout. Can you remember how this compares with your snake?
Dave

Thanks Dave for posting these lovely pictures. I guess the impression I got from 'my' snake was very different from your boomslang photos: longer face and much smaller eye. To me, the description of a rhomboid 'coffin-shaped' head which people refer to mambas seemed pretty accurate.
On a slightly different point, I was struck by the deep 'cut' along the centre of my snake's 'chin'. It's such a striking feature that I wonder if it's an adaptation of some kind - say, a deep pleat to allow unusually wide distension of the mouth? Suppose it's an egg-swallowing specialist, for example?

 

[smuldal]

Ooh. A beauty.

Whilst I'm far from certain, my first thought on looking at those was black mamba. behaviour, location and size all fit too. I certainly would've given it a fair bit of room (whilst photographing furiously!)

I thought it might be that - although the descriptions I've read call it more brown rather than greenish.

 

[mayoayo]

I was reading a bit after I saw your post,Trying to gather some B M trivia facts...Color seems to be within the variations in the species/age groups. I read that dark-light scales alternation happen in the rear part of the body,As shown in the second picture you posted,,.I also saw pictures of Black Mamba showing similar chin channel..The term "coffin" is literally mentioned ,to describe the shape of the head, In the same way You did..
I think Your Snake very well could be a Black Mamba Indeed, and Yes,I mean No,You dont want to be bitten by one of those

 

[Isurus]

I thought it might be that - although the descriptions I've read call it more brown rather than greenish.

Looking at the photo I had assumed the greenish cast was an artefact of the light through the leaves and it was brown but I obviously wasn't there.

 

[Farnboro John]

Looking at the photo I had assumed the greenish cast was an artefact of the light through the leaves and it was brown but I obviously wasn't there.

I have no in the field experience of Black Mamba but from films and one individual at ZSL its colour seems to vary from a greenish grey through brownish to a sort of charcoal.

John

 

[Ptitsa]

It certainly looks a Mamba, you were wise to give it space! :t:

 

[RonW]

Certainly looks like a black mamba. There is also a green mamba in South Africa, but on the other side of the country, in the east. Nice find. They are stunning snakes, to be viewed from a respectable distance

 

[Davebutterflyman]

What a fantastic sighting! i would concur with Black Mamba and all of the snakes not to get bitten by...this is the one!