The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), so named for its black mouth rather than the color of its scales, can be used in tracking pollutant and detecting heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, scientists said in a research paper published in Environmental Pollution. The scientists, with the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa say that the birds and rodents that the black mamba preys upon transfer the pollutants that have entered their bodies into the black mamba. And these pollutants end up in the scales of the venomous snake, which enables the scientists to examine the heavy metal accumulation in the snakes. The scientists clip the scales of these snakes for examination, which does not harm the snakes in any way. Advertisement“We found a clear association between land use and heavy metal exposure in black mambas.