Black mamba

The black mamba is just about as imposing as snakes get: long, sleek, speedy and packing a seriously toxic punch, these reptilian superstars have landed leading roles in feature-length films, and even loaned their name to an NBA star (because he strikes with maximum speed and accuracy in rapid succession, of course). 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.