Although shorter than the king cobra, a black mamba's venom is five times deadlier. These snakes are some of the most feared in the world.
Also, the black mamba has far superior venom in terms of potency alone. The king cobra venom has an LD50 of about 1.28 mg/kg. Meanwhile, the black mamba's venom potency reaches an LD50 between 0.25 and 0.32 mg/kg. These unique qualities will have a significant impact on the fight between the two species.
King cobras are heavier than black mambas, weighing about twice as much on average when full grown. Black mambas are smaller than king cobras by several feet. The king cobra lives in India and Southeastern Asia, while the black mamba makes its home in sub-Saharan Africa.
Taipan venom is extremely strong – it's the most powerful snake venom there is, at least against mice. Black mamba venom, on the other hand, is extremely fast-acting. We have good reason to believe taipan venom is specially designed for taking down rats as quickly as possible.
The saw-scaled viper, Echis carinatus, is considered the deadliest snake in the world, according to Britannica. This type of snake is said to be responsible for "more human deaths than all other snake species combined." The venom of the saw-scaled viper is not as lethal as other snakes, but it is far more aggressive.
The black mamba is supposedly the most dangerous snake, while the inland taipan is likely the snake with the deadliest venom. Black mambas are larger, faster, very aggressive, and capable of attacking from a distance.
Their main threats are from people, who fear the snakes and their aggressive reputation. While black mambas are often killed out of fear by the people who live near them, their main predators are mongooses, honey badgers, birds such as brown snake eagles, secretary birds, and black-headed herons.
With such a large body, the king cobra could last longer than the much smaller taipan. Either way, that's a lose-lose situation. What probably won't happen is the taipan killing the cobra without getting bitten in the process. For all those reasons, the snake-killing king cobra is going to win this fight.
Over distance they slow down to 7 MPH (12 KPH). However, the average human run speed over distance is 6 MPH (10 KPH). Thus, you cant outrun a Black Mamba. Still, Black Mambas are extremely shy and will do everything they can to avoid people.
Introducing the most venomous snake in the world and epic predator of the Australian outback! The inland taipan is otherwise known as the fierce snake or small scaled snake.
And it's easy to believe they're right. After all, there's a 37-year-old list that says that 21 of the 25 most toxic snakes in the world are all from Australia.
Some fun facts about the Black Mamba:
They are some of the world's fastest snakes and are capable of speeds of more than 12 miles (19 km) per hour and hence will be the one which can kill the fastest.
Stories of black mambas that chase and attack humans are common, but in fact the snakes generally avoid contact with humans. Most apparent cases of pursuit probably are examples of where witnesses have mistaken the snake's attempt to retreat to its lair when a human happens to be in the way.
But for all their menace and grandeur, mambas, like all snakes, are susceptible to attacks from predators – and Mozambique spitting cobras are particularly accomplished at this task. A recent two-in-one sighting photographed at South Africa's Marakele National Park illustrates the point in remarkable, grisly fashion.
The mamba has the edge when it comes to venom – watch out, inland taipan! Wrestling is important too. And although mambas can grow very long and are very fast, taipans have more muscle and are probably stronger.
The average human is faster than a king cobra on land. A king cobra can slither at about 5 mph over short distances. The average human can walk at 3 mph and run up to 8 mph. Yet, the fastest person alive can run at speeds of 27.5 mph, but only during a sprint.
Mongoose
Mongooses are noted for their audacious attacks on highly venomous snakes, such as king cobras. The Mongoose is a snake killer by nature. These small mammals have some immunity to cobra venom, so they are one of the most successful animals that hunt cobras.
The king cobra is the largest snake in the world and the Komodo dragon is the largest lizard. Both reptiles have very different styles of attacking prey. A Komodo dragon would overpower a king cobra in a fight.
Notable bite cases
Danie Pienaar, who was at various times from at least 2009 to 2017 head of South African National Parks Scientific Services and acting managing executive, survived the bite of a black mamba without antivenom in 1998.
Black mambas are fast, nervous, lethally venomous, and when threatened, highly aggressive. They have been blamed for numerous human deaths, and African myths exaggerate their capabilities to legendary proportions. For these reasons, the black mamba is widely considered the world's deadliest snake.
While mambas have an intimidating reputation, it's perhaps the mongoose that often has the upper hand in a battle between the two. Mongooses have mutated cells that block the mambas' neurotoxins from entering their bloodstream. This makes them capable of surviving the venomous snake's deadly bite.
Like any snake the Taipan prefers to avoid conflict and will quietly slip away if given the chance, however if surprised or cornered it will ferociously defend itself.
Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)
Perhaps the most feared snake in Africa is the Black Mamba. They are Africa's largest venomous snake and can grow to between 2.5 (8.2 feet) and 4.5 meters (14 feet), though 2 meters is more the average.