WEB SITES
Animal Diversity Web – Black Mamba Fact Sheet
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dendroaspis_polylepis.html
University of Michigan posts a detailed black mamba fact sheet on its Animal Diversity project Web site.
Australian Venom and Toxin Database
http://www.kingsnake.com/toxinology/LD50/LD50men.html
The question of which snake is the “most venomous” is actually very complicated and open to some interpretation. The Australian Venom and Toxin database explains some of the variables involved in such a toxin analysis, and provides lists of venomous snakes based on various testing procedures. The black mamba appears on several of these lists.
Sean Thomas – “Most Dangerous Snakes in the World”
http://www.seanthomas.net/oldsite/danger.html
South African wildlife filmmaker Sean Thomas also has a list describing the deadliest snakes. He too acknowledges the difficulty in compiling a definitive list, and bases his on relative mortality rates.
Wildlife Pictures Online – “Black Mamba Myths and Other Snake Stories”
http://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com/black-mamba.html
This website provides an article discussing the myths and facts about the black mamba, from the perspective of a South African raised with a cultural fear of them.
Treatment of a Black Mamba Bite
http://drdavidson.ucsd.edu/Portals/0/snake/Dendroa3.htm
Bitten by a black mamba? University of California San Diego posts detailed instructions for treating a black mamba bite.
Kruger Park – Black Mamba Myths and Facts
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/krugerpark-times-17-facts-about-the-black-mamba.html
Kruger national park, just north of Swaziland in South Africa, posts another detailed description of the myths and facts surrounding black mambas.
Antivenom Swazi Foundation
http://www.antivenomswazi.org/#/our-mission/4533665167
Thea and Clifton started the Antivenom Swazi Foundation to help provide the resources to treat snakebite victims in Swaziland.
NEWS
Times Online (UK) – “Black mamba bite kills Briton who dreamt of becoming a game ranger” (March 12, 2008)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3529594.ece
This article underscores the importance of fast administration of antivenom in saving lives after a black mamba bite.
BOOKS AND PRINT
Frump, Robert. The Man-Eaters of Eden: Life and Death in Kruger National Park. Globe Pequot, 2006.
Nagami, Pamela. Bitten: True Medical Stories of Bites and Stings. Macmillin, 2005.
O’Shea, Mark. Venomous Snakes of the World. New Holland Publishers, 2008.
