Snake dancing
 

Living in Arizona we've seen our share of unusual stuff but this last one takes the prize. The other day my wife calls me over to the window: "Hey Hon, there's two snakes outside fighting" This I've never seen so I run over to have a look. Sure enough there are two adult rattlesnakes out at the periphery of our back yard, and acting mighty strange for sure, but that doesn't look like fighting - it looks more like some kind of ... mating ritual??

Gotta get pictures, so I grab the camera and run ... uh, tiptoe out there. Get to about 10 feet of them and they're still going at it and totally oblivious to my presence. Trying to get a bit closer got their attention so I pretty much stayed in back of that invisible line and took my pictures. This was one of the few times I wished I had a video camera.

Now I've seen plenty of rattlers in the wild but in all my years on this Earth I have never seen anything quite like this, which is why I wanted to share it with you. I hope the pictures below are visible, as I have had some problems in the past getting pictures to show up in my posts. In retrospect the pictures don't really do it justice. This 'dance' went on for at least 3 hours consisting of head bobbing, intertwining, neck craning and weaving (do snakes even have necks?), separating and reconnecting, trance like gazing, ... it was really quite the show.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=1642

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=1643

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=1644

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=1645

Re: Snake dancing
 

Very cool!
Thanks for sharing the dance with us.:tu

Of course, many here will think that's why we Arizonans
don't go out to B&M's often.

Re: Snake dancing
 

Re: Snake dancing
 

Those are really good shots! I think I have better moves though! :tu

Re: Snake dancing
 

Where is the screaming like a little girl smiley?

Re: Snake dancing
 

Re: Snake dancing
 

Very Cool!

Re: Snake dancing
 

Pics or ban :D

Re: Snake dancing
 

great pictures. Me, i'd be freaking out because of the one i don't see.

Re: Snake dancing
 

Very cool. I bet it's an adrenaline rush when you come upon one in the wild.

Re: Snake dancing
 

Those are some fantastic pics!!! Very Nice!

Re: Snake dancing
 

Yeah, my wife hasn't set foot out back since.

Interestingly, in all my encounters with rattlers in the wild I have never had one advance on me. They always hold their ground or retreat - never advance. During this mating ritual, however, when I got too close the two snakes immediately disengaged, one retreated, and the other started moving towards me. I'm assuming that one is the male.

Re: Snake dancing
 

You asked for it....

http://photos-c.ll.facebook.com/phot...04634_5144.jpg

Re: Snake dancing
 

Great pics! Just think how many more you will have in the yard after, well however long it takes. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Snake dancing
 

Those are some neat pics! Thanx for sharing.

Re: Snake dancing
 

It's electric! Boogie-woogie-woogie-woogie!!!

Re: Snake dancing
 

That's what I call, True Love.

Re: Snake dancing
 

Very nice photos!!!

Glad you captured that rare event!!!

Thank you!!!:tu

Re: Snake dancing
 

A Mohave Green WILL advance on you, they are quite pissy and agressive.
And yes, you got a very rare glimps at Rattle snake Looooove ...
I hate rattle snakes,
I once sat for quite a long time and watched a King snake kill and eat a Diamondback ... That was cool.

Re: Snake dancing
 

I will go further than hate rattle snakes I hate snakes period! Run like a little girl!

I did get to see this though once out in western Kansas. There were out in the middle of the country in the ditch of the dirt road. Didn't stick around though to take pictures. Very good shots and you got a LOT closer to them than I ever would have!