Rat Snake Mating Season [repack] Access

Before the breeding ball even forms, the males engage in a ritualistic "dance of dominance." Two males will raise their upper bodies into the air, intertwining like the logo for a medical caduceus.

If you’ve ever walked outside in April or May to find a tangled “Gordian knot” of serpent bodies in your driveway, don’t call the fire department. You’ve just stumbled upon the most dramatic dating show in the animal kingdom. Forget romantic candlelit dinners. When a female rat snake is ready to mate, she doesn’t swipe right. She lays down a trail of pheromones so potent it acts like a dinner bell for every male within a quarter mile.

The result is not a "couple." It is a .

So, if you see that writhing ball of scales this spring, grab your camera (from a respectful 6-foot distance). Send the video to your friends. You aren't witnessing a monster attack; you’re witnessing a reptilian block party.

The males aren't trying to crush the female; they are trying to out-slither each other. They writhe, twist, and align their tails, attempting to be the one to successfully mate. It is chaotic, noisy (yes, they hiss), and looks like a basket of rubber hoses that has come to life. Here is the weirdest part of rat snake romance: Male combat. rat snake mating season

You might see 5, 10, or even 15 male snakes piled on top of a single female. To the untrained eye, it looks like a fight to the death. In reality, it’s a competition for a lifetime (or at least an afternoon).

But they don't bite. They push. Each male tries to topple the other to the ground. It looks like a slow-motion wrestling match between two very long, scaly arm wrestlers. The winner gets the right to get closest to the female. The loser slithers off to find a less popular date. Most people assume snakes mate in tall grass or under logs. Rat snakes are the gymnasts of the serpent world. They are semi-arboreal, meaning they love heights. Before the breeding ball even forms, the males

But once a year, these common neighbors turn into something out of a nature documentary. Welcome to .