I generally like snakes and am not afraid of them, but this is one snake I do not care to meet. Of course, their existence is important to the ecosystem in which they reside, as you know.
Though I'd heard of them - mainly via the name used for a fashion label and a pop music group - I knew only that they were some kind of African snake. So, of course, I looked them up.
I think all animals are an essential part of their native ecosystem, so they deserve protection. The role of the mamba as a predator of small animals might be crucial in preventing over-population. It seems there are quite a few predators that keep the mamba numbers down. Fortunately, they don't seem to be a threatened species just now, but with the increasing encroachment of humans into their habitats, they might become threatened in the near future.
I wouldn't want to have a close encounter with one.
SavvyAnsley 