Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi. I'm hoping you all will be willing to answer a question from a mom trying to help her elementary school student son with a report on the Black Mamba. He is supposed to find out what male and female baby Black Mambas are called. From what I have read elsewhere, it seems they are all called hatchlings, but I figured you folks would know for sure. Please let me know if hatchlings is the right term.

By the way, I'm a preschool teacher who is trying to ensure that my 4-year-old students don't grow up thinking snakes are "bad." It's sad to admit that when I asked my class on Friday if they thought snakes were bad, most all of them said yes.

Thanks for any and all help!
Judy Campbell

I think it's awesome that you are trying to instill a good impression of snakes on your students! As a prospective high school biology teacher myself, I am wanting to do the same, but the students of the age you teach are certainly the best ones to do it with. I've done two educational shows about snakes for two different groups of people: one group of paramedics, and one group of 3rd graders. The 3rd graders were by far the more interested, open-minded group of the two. Instead of revulsion, most of them showed complete fascination. The adult paramedics, on the other hand, tended to, if anything, want to move further back into the room... So yeah, great job, and I wish you the best of luck in your attempts. I probably don't have to say this, but be prepared for an angry parent or two to stop by asking why you taught their child 'lies' about 'evil' snakes.

Now, to get to your actual question, baby snakes can be called any of a bunch of different names. The most commonly used ones are hatchlings (if they came from an egg that is, live birthed babies shouldn't be called hatchlings as it is rather misleading), neonates, and later on, juveniles. I probably wouldn't call a very very young snake a juvenile. Usually I reserve that term for snakes a few months old or so. Hatchling and neonate are the two terms most commonly applied to newborn snakes. Even newborn would be fine to use. There are no sex differences in terminology, just as there are no sex differences in most snakes. I hope this was of some help.
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Chance Duncan
http://www.rivervalleysnakes.com

Chance,

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my inquiry. I'd read about the terms 'neonate' and 'hatchling,' and I assumed that since I'd read that Mambas hatch from eggs that their offspring would be called hatchlings. I guess I just wanted to know if hatchling was, indeed, the correct term or if there was a more unique name for Mamba babies.

And thanks for the warning about the possibility of an angry parent. I honestly had not thought of that, even though I guess I should have. Most kids are surprised to find out that snakes aren't slimy, and the kids in my class didn't know there was a reason that the snake's tongue is forked. They kind of thought that was cool when I explained it to them. I figure I can try to be as factual as I can and hope that society's prejudice against snakes won't win...for at least one or two of my students.

Thanks again for your information. Best of luck with your projects!

Judy

Judy, it's not always easy to find someone in the "general public" with as open-minded an attitude towards snakes as you have. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Bill Huseth

Thanks. Actually, it's easier for me to be open minded about snakes than about spiders, but I'm trying not to show my students any fear with the latter, either. I figure the kids will have their own phobias to deal with as they grow up; they don't need mine, too.

Hope nobody minds if I "lurk" (as they say on the mailing lists) and learn. I had _no_ idea there were folks who kept elapids outside of zoos until I googled 'Mamba babies' for my son's project and found this forum! It's a good day when I learn something new.

Judy

Lurk and learn as much as you like. Another excellent site to check out is Bryan Greig Fry's venomdoc.com, specifically the forums. Take care.
Bill

Welcome to Kingsnake.
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GratefulFred