Vertebrate Zoology

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mamba

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

mamba name for African snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, in the cobra family. Widely distributed throughout Africa except in the deserts, mambas have extremely toxic venom. When attacking they raise the front of the body high off the ground and aim at the head or trunk of the victim. They do not have hoods (as do the Asian cobras), but some can inflate their necks in a threatening gesture. Members of some species are very aggressive, displaying a greater tendency to attack than do most snakes; nevertheless, their reaction to danger is often flight. The so-called black mamba ( Dendroaspis polylepis ), actually dark brown to gray, may grow up to 14 ft (4.3 m) long and is the most feared of the mambas. It lives mostly in open country and preys on small mammals and birds. The green mamba ( D. angusticeps ) is a more arboreal snake, found in forest and bush country. Both are distributed throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa. Mambas are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, family Elapidae.

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mamba

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

mamba Any of several large, poisonous African tree snakes of the cobra family, Elapidae. The deadly black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepsis) is the largest species. It is grey, greenish-brown or black and is notoriously aggressive; its bite is almost always fatal. Length: to 4.3m (14ft).

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mamba

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

mam·ba / ˈmämbə/ • n. a large, agile, highly venomous African snake (genus Dendroaspis, family Elapidae). See also black mamba.

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mambas

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | | Copyright

mambas (Dendroaspis) See ELAPIDAE.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "mambas." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "mambas." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-mambas.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "mambas." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-mambas.html

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mamba

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

mamba •abba, blabber, dabber, grabber, jabber, stabber, yabber •Alba, Galba •amber, camber, caramba, clamber, Cochabamba, gamba, mamba, Maramba, samba, timbre •Annaba, arbor, arbour, barber, Barbour, harbour (US harbor), indaba, Kaaba, Lualaba, Pearl Harbor, Saba, Sabah, Shaba •sambar, sambhar •rebbe, Weber •Elba •Bemba, December, ember, member, November, Pemba, September •belabour (US belabor), caber, labour (US labor), neighbour (US neighbor), sabre (US saber), tabor •chamber • bedchamber •antechamber •amoeba (US ameba), Bathsheba, Bourguiba, Geber, Sheba, zariba •cribber, dibber, fibber, gibber, jibba, jibber, libber, ribber •Wilbur •limber, marimba, timber •winebibber •calibre (US caliber), Excalibur •briber, fibre (US fiber), scriber, subscriber, Tiber, transcriber •clobber, cobber, jobber, mobber, robber, slobber •ombre, sombre (US somber) •carnauba, catawba, dauber, Micawber •jojoba, Manitoba, October, sober •Aruba, Cuba, Nuba, scuba, tuba, tuber •Drouzhba • Toowoomba • Yoruba •Hecuba

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