Black Mamba Venom Kills a Giant Hippo
Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 There is great danger creeping through Africa.
00:15 The black mamba.
00:22 Its bite is incredibly toxic.
00:24 In its venom are neutrotoxins, which destroy nerve tissue.
00:34 There are also cardiotoxins, which destroy tissue and muscle, and fasciculate, which
00:39 cause severe muscle contractions, among others.
00:47 It is a lot of different toxins working together.
00:51 But could this powerful poison kill some of Africa's biggest animals?
00:59 Black mamba killing hippopotamus is possible, or just a legend.
01:05 The hippopotamus is the third largest animal in Africa, after the elephant and the rhino.
01:14 They weigh more than two tons and spend the day in the water.
01:17 They often go out at night to graze.
01:20 And that would probably be the most likely time to find a black mamba.
01:26 Black mambas have been seen killing even lions.
01:28 But with a hippo, the story would be different.
01:33 In theory, a large black mamba has enough venom to kill a hippopotamus.
01:39 But problems can occur.
01:41 If she bites the hippopotamus, she probably will not inject all or enough venom to kill
01:46 it.
01:47 Also, the hippo's skin is so thick that prey might not be able to pierce the skin enough
01:52 to enter the bloodstream.
01:55 Theoretically, the black mamba has enough venom to kill a hippopotamus.
02:02 But if you had to inject a lot, it would be more likely to kill a baby hippopotamus.
02:09 And indeed, mambas are typically shy creatures.
02:14 And they will hardly attack an animal as big as a hippopotamus unless he steps on it.
02:18 (growling)
02:21 [BLANK_AUDIO]