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Sometimes the real thing 
is just as impressive as the legend.

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The black mamba is one of Africa's
most feared serpents.

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And it's all that and more.

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It's Africa's longest venomous snake

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growing to a length of 14 feet.

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It's also the world's fastest snake

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zipping along in up to 12 miles per hour.

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Its head is often described as coffin shaped,

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and for many in Africa,
this snake is synonymous with death.

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Without antivenin the black mambas 
neurotoxins can kill a human

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in less than 15 minutes.

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While its main prey items include small animals like

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rats, Bush babies and birds, 
it's the lethal bite is famous enough

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that even creatures several hundred times its size, 
stay out of its way.

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The mamba on spy day.

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It's not afraid to show the black interior of its mouth

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and scare the daylights out of this herd.

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It does this to avoid being trapped.

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All it wants to do here is clear a path

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and the strategy works perfectly.

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Wouldn't you love to scare people like that?

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Haha, sure would make getting through rush hour easier.

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And for those of you 
who've seen enough nature documentaries,

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you know what this means.

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Bush squirrel versus mamba.

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Squirrels are one of the black mambas favorite meals.

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And it gets worse.

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The squirrel has a nest of young nearby

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and the Mamba is just as cosy in a tree as on the ground.

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The mamba uses sight and scent to seek out its prey.

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It has the squirrel and its nest zeroed in.

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The mother stays away,

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but as for saving her babies,

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there's not a single thing she can do.

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But we can do something,

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we can avoid the obligatory deadly
mamba chomps cute baby squirrel shot.

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Let's cut right to the end of the meal,

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just the last few crunches.

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I hope you appreciated our discretion.

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Just be glad as a human

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you'll probably never 
encounter one of these elusive

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yet aggressive snakes.