One of four species of large, fast-moving, highly venomous snakes (family Elapidae) found in Africa. The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), up to 2 m long and dark brown or grey but never black, is terrestrial, and the three species of green mamba are arboreal. These are the eastern green mamba (D. angusticeps), 1.8–2 m long, the western green mamba (D. viridis), 1.4–2.1 m long, and Jameson’s mamba (D. jamesoni), 1.5–2.2 m long. All are active by day, preying on small mammals, lizards, and birds.