A Black mamba snake, estimated to be about 1.2 to 1.5 metres long, hitchhiked from an unknown destination to Pretoria before it was captured in the engine bay of another vehicle.
The slithery reptile was found in a vehicle at a Monument Park home over the weekend.
Hiding in engine
Local snake catcher Maggle Webster responded to the sighting after the initial call.
“We arrived, and I saw the snake in the engine. Snakes in engines are very tricky, as you have to know where the head is at all times.”
Webster said the homeowner said he never left the province.
“We suspect it might have come in with another car and somehow found its way to this man’s car. There are no mambas in Centurion found unless it is a hitchhiker, according to The Citizen’s sister publication, The Rekord.
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KZN mamba
In 2024, a 1.8-metre venomous black mamba was captured at a property in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
The snake was captured on a property on Fairview Drive in Brindhaven.
A local resident contacted Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) to have the reptile removed from their yard.
Black Mambas
According to National Geographic, black mambas are actually brown. They get their name from the blue-black of the inside of their mouths, which they display when threatened.
Black mambas are fast, nervous, lethally venomous, and highly aggressive when threatened. They have been blamed for numerous human deaths, and African myths exaggerate their capabilities to legendary proportions. For these reasons, the black mamba is widely considered the world’s deadliest snake.
Venomous
Black mambas are Africa’s longest venomous snake, reaching up to 14 feet in length, although 8.2 feet is more the average.
They are also among the fastest snakes in the world, slithering at speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour.
Black mambas are shy and will almost always seek to escape when confronted. However, when cornered, these snakes will raise their heads, sometimes with a third of their bodies off the ground, spread their cobra-like neck flaps, open their black mouths, and hiss.
If an attacker persists, the mamba will strike not once, but repeatedly, injecting large amounts of potent neuro- and cardiotoxin with each strike.
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