Contrary to their common name, black mambas are not actually black. Dendroaspis polylepis can be olive, brownish, gray, or sometimes khaki in color. Young snakes are lighter in color, appearing gray or olive green, but are not light enough to be confused with green mambas (Dendroaspis angusticeps). Their underbody is cream-colored, sometimes blended with green or yellow. Dark spots or blotches may speckle the back half of the body and some individuals have alternating dark and light scales near the posterior, giving the impression of lateral bars. The inside of the mouth is a dark blue to “inky” black color. The eyes are dark brown to black, with a silvery-white to yellow edge on the pupils. There is disagreement between sources on the exact range of lengths of D. polylepis, but the extreme reported values indicate that adults are 2.0 to 3.0 m, with an average length of 2.2 to 2.7m. Certain sources also claim rare cases of lengths of 4.3 and even 4.5m. Their smooth scales are at mid-body, in 23 to 25 (in some cases 21) rows. (Branch, 1988; FitzSimons, 1970; Marais, 1985; Spawls and Branch, 1995)