The wait was finally over. The announcement came over the airport loudspeaker that American Airlines, Flight 703, from Dallas/Fort Worth, was now landing. Just minutes earlier, the drive from Brownsville to Harlingen seemed to take forever. Would the flight be early? Would I be late? These short trips to the airport always stressed me beyond belief. But now, they were here and safely on the ground.

The deal, two weeks earlier, had been straightforward; two male gold eyelash vipers, from my La Vibora collection, in trade for a pair of year-old West African green mambas. The planning was meticulous. The mambas would be shipped first from Pennsylvania, and then I would ship the eyelash vipers back, in the same wooden shipping crate. I purchased two 50-gallon aquariums to house the snakes. I spent countless hours in the garage, at night, constructing the doors to fit the aquariums. The wood was cut at perfect angles and then painted to match the black plastic frame of the tanks. Gold hinges and hasps, with matching gold locks, were added to each door so each tank would be secure. Both tanks were set-up with mulch, branches, vines and silk plants to duplicate the feel and sight of the rainforest. As soon as the tanks were completed, I would break them down again and start over. I wanted everything to be and look perfect.

The West African green mamba (Dendroaspis viridis) is a long, relatively thin and fast moving snake from West Africa, inhabiting the rainforests from Guinea to Ghana. Their color is vivid green and black with large dorsal scales that look almost artificial. The skin between the scales is black that gives the appearance of narrow black strips down their body. The scales on the tail are yellow and the black edging gives an appearance of a net. They grow to a maximum size of about 6 ½ feet but the average size is normally between 4 and 6 feet. They are arboreal in nature and feed during the day, moving through the trees in search for prey, which consists mainly of small rodents and possibly birds and bats. Males will seek out females for breeding in early spring. The females will then retire to a place of safety to lay their eggs, usually in May.

I waited by the back door of the luggage area with the impatience of a child. I knew the baggage handler would soon open the door and hand me the shipping crate, a process that had happened many times over the past 4 years. Finally, I heard the sound of the baggage carrier and the annoying sound of the warning alarm, signaling the baggage carousel was about to start. I waited, as each piece of luggage rotated into the terminal. The box with the words “Venomous Snakes”, printed on all sides, would be unloaded last. As more and more pieces of luggage left with their owners, the back door finally opened. “Man, what a big box,” I thought to myself. “What kind of snake is in here?” was the customary question asked by the luggage handler. I told him they were green mambas, signed the Air Waybill and began the long walk to the car. I wondered why the box was so heavy.

When I arrived home, I began the task of unscrewing each 2-inch wood screw that held the wooden lid in place on the shopping crate. I finished, only to find another wooden box inside the outer box, a customary rule for shipping venomous snakes on the airlines. I unscrewed each screw with growing anticipation. As I lifted the second lid, I found a hand-printed note placed on top of the snake bags that contained the mambas. It said in simple terms, “Jim, be extremely careful, mambas will bite through bags.”

The mambas are relatives of the cobras and belong to the venomous group of snakes known as Elapids. Large, non-hinged fangs, at the front of their mouths, characterize all species in this group. Their venom contains potent neurotoxins and cardiotoxins, which affect the nervous systems of their victims, typically within 30 minutes after envenomation. Bite victims need immediate and thorough anti-venom treatment. Even so, many cases prove fatal, especially in situations where victims are delayed in reaching help, with death resulting from respiratory failure.

I pulled the snake bag out of the shipping container and immediately begin to worry if both snakes were in the single bag. And, why was the bag so heavy? I had visualized small snakes, maybe 24 inches long, at most, since they were only one year old. I untied the bag and was relieved to find two separate snake bags inside. I lifted the bag marked female and carefully untied the top. With forceps, I lifted the bag into the waiting cage and gently lifted the corner of the bag, to allow the snake to escape. First I saw her head, and then watched in amazement as she slowly glided out of the bag, an incredible 5-foot snake that still possessed much of her yellow juvenile coloration. I couldn’t believe my eyes! How could she be this big in only one year? I lifted the second bag and felt the weight of a larger snake. I carefully lifted the bag into the second cage and watched as the 6 foot, plus, male glided into his new environment. He was a vivid green and black with the distinct yellow tail. I sat in awe, between the two cages and watched as they surveyed their new domains.

The green mambas are regarded as significantly less aggressive and less toxic than their cousin, the black mamba, which is considered the most dangerous snake in Africa. And while they never displayed any aggression while in my possession, their 50-gallon enclosures did not do them justice. After a year in my possession, I decided to donate them to the Herpetarium at the Gladys Porter Zoo, where they could be provided a larger living environment and be enjoyed by the public. After conferring with Colette Adams, Curator of Herpetology, she agreed to provide them a new home.

Several days later, after much planning, Dave Martin, Lead Keeper in the Herpetarium, arrived at my house to take the snakes to the zoo. I had mixed feelings about letting the snakes go but knew they would be much happier in a larger environment. A 33-gallon trashcan with a locking top was brought to transport the snakes to the zoo. Each snake was glided onto a 5-foot snake hook and placed into the container. The entire process took less than 2 minutes since the snakes were so gentle.

My mambas stayed off exhibit for over a year, but I was still able to visit them on many occasions in the back corridor of the Herpetarium. Recently, though, they have been given a beautiful exhibit in the “Herp” with an incredible orange background that looks like a blazing sunrise. I was told they even bred this year, after being placed in their new exhibit, but sadly, the eggs from the female were infertile. I hope you will take time to enjoy these magnificent snakes. They reside in the exhibit right next to their cousins, the African black mambas, and long-time favorites at the Gladys Porter Zoo.