Western Green Mamba - Venom

Venom

The western green mamba's venom is similar to other members of the mamba (Dendroaspis) family, but differs from other mamba's in toxicity or even the mixture of toxins in the venom at times. The venom consists mainly of neurotoxins, cardiotoxins, and fasciculins. The SC LD₅₀ for this species is 0.7 mg/kg and the average venom yield per bite is approximately 100 mg Human fatalities as a result of bites from this species are rare due to the fact that this species does not often cross paths with humans, but bites have occurred and many of the recorded bites have been fatal. The mortality rate of untreated bites is not exactly known, but it is thought to be quite high. When bitten, symptoms rapidly begin to manifest, usually within the first 15 minutes or less. Common symptoms of a bite from a western green mamba include local pain and swelling, although uncommon, local necrosis can be moderate, ataxia, headache, drowsiness, difficulty breathing, vertigo, hypotension (low blood pressure), diarrhea, dizziness, and paralysis. Left untreated, new and more severe symptoms begin to manifest. All symptoms worsen and the victim eventually dies due to suffocation resulting from paralysis of the respiratory muscles. Depending on the nature and severity of a bite, death can occur in as fast as an hour but usually it takes 2-4 hours before an untreated victim dies.