Watch: Snakes duel in dance-like combat
A group of hikers encountered two snakes performing a “fighting dance.”
A group of teachers witnessed a dramatic snake fight while hiking on a trail in the Blue Hills Reservation in Massachusetts.
Erin Noonan and her colleagues from Parker Elementary School in Quincy were hiking near Milton on July 30 when they “encountered two wood rattlesnakes performing a ‘fighting dance,'” Noonan told Storyful.
Video footage taken by Noonan shows the snakes wrestling and fighting with each other in the middle of the hiking trail.
“What are they doing?” asks one person in the video, while another hums and another laughs.
Click below to see the fight between these two forest rattlesnakes
“Oh my God, this is crazy,” another person is heard saying.
“Super cool!” says another.
One of only two poisonous species in Massachusetts
There are 14 species of snakes in Massachusetts, two of which, including timber rattlesnakes, are venomous, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The other venomous snake species is the copperhead. The two species are found in only a few areas of the state and are on the state’s endangered species list.
Timber rattlesnakes are large, heavy-bodied pit vipers with broad, triangular heads and variable color patterns, according to the Division of Wildlife. While some are almost jet black, others are sulfur yellow with black, brown or rust-colored spots. Unlike other rattlesnake species in North America, they do not have stripes or bands on their heads and faces. Each time they shed their skin, a new rattle segment grows on, which is an indication of their age.
Wood rattlesnakes in Massachusetts are active from mid-April to mid-October and are found primarily in the western counties of the state.
Noonan’s colleague Susan Maloney, also a teacher at Parker Elementary School, told WBZ News she had never seen anything like it before.
“I’ve been hiking in the Blue Hills all my life,” Maloney said. “I’ve never seen one there, so I was surprised.”
Since this is a rarity, teachers plan to show the videos and pictures to their students at school.
“They love studying snakes and frogs, and that leads them to think they should do a little research on snakes. Why don’t we learn about them,” Noonan told WBZ.
What to do if you spot a forest rattlesnake?
The Massachusetts Wildlife Department advises the public to maintain a safe distance when encountering these venomous species.
“Do not touch or disturb them,” the agency said in a statement.
The department also requests that anyone who sees these reptiles submit their observations to the department to assist in conservation efforts.
“Their reports provide important information for future habitat management and species conservation for future generations,” the department said in a statement.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
