Black Mambas will chase your ass under certain circumstances. Corner one and it will attack with great skill and ferocity. Its bite is almost always fatal.
I admire them for defending themselves and their homes. In fact, I admire snakes in general, and have a couple of them living with me, Jamaican Boas, part of an endangered species breeding program sponsored by the AZA.
There are a small number of snakes in my back yard, their ancestors released there by me years ago. My neighbor's expression when he spots one sunning itself on a paved driveway is wonderful to behold. Harmless little things, of course. Insect eaters. Most snakes are harmless.
I've spent decades in snake infested areas, actively interacting with both venomous and non-venomous species. I've never been bitten. Never been bitten by a dog either. It's amusing to see big strong guys become hysterical little girls when confronted by a serpent. Snakes aren't cowards. They have the good sense to get out of the way of the most destructive beast on this planet. Coming across a big Timber Rattler in the deep forest is a real pleasure. Coming upon some human strangers, especially if they are armed, is quite another story.
Someone mentioned there being no rattlesnakes in Africa. True, but almost all snakes will vibrate their tails at high speed on dry leaves when threatened, producing a buzzing sound. Rattlers are an example of evolutionary development, developing over millions of years a system that allows them to carry a more effective noise maker with them, one based on the basic dry leaf sound.
Snakes are one of the wonders of the natural world. Leave them alone. Anyone who intentionally runs one over with his car deserves the same fate.
