“Why Is It Walking?”: Video of Massive Black Mamba Gives SA Chills

• A TikTokker shared an interesting video of a black mamba travelling vertically through a dry and bushy area
• The person taking a video of the slithering snake stood metres away as the reptile disappeared from sight
• Thousands of members of the online community expressed their surprise after seeing the snake, which they thought was a cobra, and joked that it was one of their family members
• An expert from the African Snakebite Institute explained to Briefly News the physical differences between black mambas and cobras, and why the snake would move in such a manner

When it comes to snakes, many people are used to seeing the reptile slithering on the ground as it travels. However, some people were surprised to see a snake "walking" as it moved from one destination to the other.

Massive snake caught on camera

The TikTokker The Cheetah King, who shared he was Nambian, shared a video on his account showing what he described to be a black mamba using possibly one-third of the bottom of its body to slither on the ground while the two-thirds remained vertical in the air.

Read also

“Why Cape cobra so famous?”: Man nabs massive Cape cobra while wearing plakkies

While it was not mentioned where the video was shot, the snake travelled in a bushy area and disappeared into the greenery, with the person filming taking caution by being metres away.

Take a look at the TikTok video below:

Reason for snake's vertical movement

While speaking to Briefly News, African Snakebite Institute's Luke Kemp explained that when mambas feel threatened or get a fright, they lift around a third of their body off the ground and spread a narrow hood.

"They often gape their mouth open if the threat is nearby, exposing their inky black mouth. I suspect this mamba was trying to cross the road when the car passed and frightened the snake as it quickly moved off to the safety of the thick bush."

Tall snake stuns the internet

Tens of thousands of social media users headed to the viral video's comment section. Some debated that it was not a black mamba but rather a cobra, while others joked that it was an ex or relative. A few other app users shared how scared they were to see the snake moving about upright.

Read also

"Now you're safe": Snake catcher finds Cape cobra in elderly couple's home during loadshedding

Luke explained the difference between black mambas and cobras, saying:

"Black mambas get nearly double the size of Cape cobras. Although Cape cobras can be dark in colour, they are usually shades of yellow to golden brown. Their scales are glossy whereas mambas have a velvety appearance."

A frightened @aribaariba81 asked with a crying face emoji:

"Why is it walking?"

@_fumani humorously told the public:

"That's my mother-in-law. She has been missing for days now."

Filled with fear, @kauhepa1 shared with the online community:

"It wasn't necessary for me to see this video at 2.55am! I had to close my window immediately and make sure there was nothing under my bed. Yoh."

@rachelhopewell wrote in the comment section:

"This is my worst nightmare as someone who grew up and lives in vegetation and a climate like this."

@kekeitly stated with a laugh:

"That's not a black mamba, guys. That's my ex minding his own business."

Read also

"That's huge": Massive 2.5m black mamba caught in house, third one in 4 years – SA reacts

@leezaida humorously said:

"Cameraman, we like the video, but we can't see properly. Go closer next time, please."

4 Other Briefly News stories about snakes

• In another article, a man from Durban accidentally picked up a venomous snake, which bit one of his fingers. A hospital turned him down after seeing his injuries.
• A video showed a massive snake climbing a tree at an unknown location. Internet users were surprised to see the reptile's large size.
• In January, South Africans shared their disbelief after a man showed that he found a live snake in a tray of eggs he bought from a local store.
• A South African woman shared a controversial story about sleeping with a black mamba to maintain her wealth, which people found to be an evil ritual.

Source: Briefly News