Green Mamba on Stamps

1987 Tanzania Scott #372 Stamp – Reptiles of Tanzania Set – Green Mamba/HONGO

The Reptiles of Tanzania is a four stamp set issued on February 7, 1987 and includes a 2 Shilling Crocodile stamp, a 3 Shilling Black-stripped Grass Snake stamp, a 10 Shilling Adder Snake stamp and a 20 Shilling Green Mamba Snake stamp (Tanzania Scott #369 – #372).

EASTERN GREEN MAMBA

Dendroaspis angusticeps

A highly venomous snake, the Eastern green mamba is classified in the same family as the cobras(Elapidae). The Eastern green mamba is an aboreal species of snake found in Eastern Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Malawi and Zimbabwe. This snake feeds on small birds and other animals that live in the trees. Unlike its cousin the vicious and highly aggressive black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) , the Eastern green mamba is relatively shy and will avoid confrontation if possible. A separate species the Western green mamba (Dendroaspis viridis) is found in Western Africa, including Togo, Benin, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal and Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire).