Western Green Mamba (Dendroaspis viridis)
Length:
The
Western Green Mamba is the biggest arboreal mamba species. The average length is
140 – 210 cm but somew specimens
will grow to 300 cm.
Western
Green Mambas can be variable in color most specimens are greenish-yellow, olive
green, emerald green, while some specimens are sky blue or yellow. The scales
over the body have black edging. The tail is yellow with black edging around the
scales which gives it a sort of netting. The dorsal scales of this species are
very big for a elapid. The skin between the scales is also black and visible.
The ventrals are pale green, yellow or blueish grey.
Scalation:
-
Dorsal
scales at midbody 13
-
Ventrals
211-225
-
Subcaudals
107-120
-
Subcaudals
are Paired
-
Anal
plate is Divided
-
Upper
labials 7-9
-
Preoculairs
3
-
Postoculairs
3-4
-
Lower
labials 8-10
-
Temporales
2+1 variable
Geographic
range:
The
Western Green Mamba occurs in
Habitat:
Western
Green Mambas are diurnal and arboreal snakes that live in the rainforests of
Captive
Behaviour:
Western
Green Mambas are alert snakes that need to be kept in a large enclosure. Most of
the day are they resting on a branch or are climbing around in their enclosure
they can be kept in groups without any problem. In handling are Western Green
Mambas similar to the Jameson’s Mamba. They don’t like it to be touched and
when tailed they can get very jumpy and wild. When cornered they flatten down
their necks and opening their mouths a little while rapidly tongue flicking and
loud hissing, striking is rare.
Feeding:
In
the wild do green mambas feed mainly on small rodents, birds and bats and
squirrels are known to been eaten.
In
captivity do they feed easily on rodents and chicks. I feed my westerns every
week with dead mice, rats or chicks out of a long tweezer. They never strike at
the food but take it slowly from the jaws of the tweezer.
Breeding:
Also
Western Green Mambas know the male/male combat which can last for hours. The
mating happens on the ground as in the branches with the tails hanging down.
Mating can take 10-16 hours. After a gestation period of 87-90 days after the
eggs are laid. The clutch size is from 6-14 eggs. The eggs hatch after 90-104
days. The babies are at birth 40-45 cm long.
I
once had a clutch of 9 eggs from a fresh caught female 7 of the eggs
hatched in my dry incubator on a temperature of 280C
and a humidity level of 80% the babies had their first shed after 9-11 days.
Enclosures:
As
for all mambas are the Westerns also active snakes that need a big enclosure
filled with branches and artificial plants. My Western Green Mambas are kept in
a enclosure that measures a size of 150 cm in length 70 cm high and 50 cm wide.
As substrate I used a mixture of cocopeat, peat, potting soil and bark. When the
animals start to shed I providfe them with sphagnum that keeps the humidity in
the enclosure high. Heating is done by heating cable under the enclosure and a
60 watt spotlight on the right site of the cage. Extra light is given by a 120
cm long neon tube. There is a 5 litre water bowel in the cage that is often used
for a bath and as drinking water. The snakes also have a hide box but rarely use
this.
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Copyright©2002
Richard Mastenbroek
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rights reserved. No parts of this website may be reproduced, stored in a
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of the author
This
page is not build to stimulate people to keep venomous snakes. All Captive
information given on this page is based on own experience