Black mamba venom is what’s known as a neurotoxin. This kind of venom attacks the nervous system. The proteins in their venom attach themselves to the receptors, which would normally pick up signals from the brain.

When these receptors are covered in enough of these proteins, they can’t pick up these signals. This sounds like it might not be so serious—maybe it would cause a little pain, or make you feel a little nauseous?

No. If the receptors are covered in enough of these proteins, the brain can’t tell the body what to do. First of all, this stops you from being able to move around as you want. You’ll start to stumble, and lose control of your limbs. You’ll slur your words.

But far worse is that your brain won’t be able to tell your lungs to breathe, or tell your heart to beat. This is what makes the venom deadly. You become completely paralyzed, to the point where your heart and lungs stop.

So, how long does it take to die from a black mamba bite? Twenty minutes. This isn’t just the case with severe bites; it’s the average. Many people die in even less time as a result of their bite, so you better hope you’re near a hospital, or that you have an antivenom kit with you.

It all depends on how much venom is used. While you only need two drops for them to kill you, if they inject less than that, it’s not a guarantee you’ll survive, but you’ll be alive for longer, at least.

If they do use lots of venom, though, you’ve only got a few minutes to live. The effect is made worse if you’re quite small, or of course, if the snake were to bite a child or a small animal.

When a black mamba strikes, they don’t just strike once and let go (like most venomous snakes). They strike multiple times, which increases the amount of venom that they use.

You might be imagining quite a slow process—one where you at least have time to try and get away. But it’s anything but that. The snake will strike several times, very quickly, all within a second.

You could be walking along minding your own business, and before you know it, you’ve actually been bitten five times by one of the deadliest snakes on earth. It’s no wonder so many people die each year from black mamba bites.