Quivering snakes locked in a mating ritual? See the photo from crack in Florida dam
A rarely witnessed moment of snake passion was recorded in Florida’s Panhandle, when state biologists found multiple snakes gathered in a crack at the Jackson Bluff Dam complex.
Such congregations are often referred to as mating balls, but this was more of a mating sandwich.
Due to a lack of elbow room in the crack, the snakes were stretched out, one on top of the other.
“Biologists recently observed this breeding congregation of brown water snakes (Nerodia taxispilota) along the concrete spillway of the Jackson Bluff Dam in Leon County,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute wrote on Facebook.
“Ever seen a snake fall from overhanging branches into the water or maybe even into your boat? There’s a good chance this may have been the culprit!”
The 95-year-old dam is about 66 feet tall, suggesting the snakes would almost be flying if one or more took a tumble.
A photo shared May 4 on Facebook shows the spillway was dry when the snakes gathered — something that could have changed at a moment’s notice.
The brown water snake mating ritual involves males pressing their head against a much-larger female. The snakes then begin “rapidly and vigorously rubbing against one another,” according to the Journal of Herpetology.
It’s unclear how many snakes were involved, but the heads of at least three are seen.
The end result of such encounters is as many as 60 offspring, born in late summer, according to the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in Georgia.
Brown water snakes are native to the southeast and found everywhere in Florida but the Keys, experts say. They can grow to about 4.5 feet and have amazing climbing abilities, the institute says.
The species resembles the venomous water moccasin in appearance, which means brown water snakes are often unjustly considered a threat.
Jackson Bluff Dam is about 23 miles west of Tallahassee along Lake Talquin.
This story was originally published May 9, 2023 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Quivering snakes locked in a mating ritual? See the photo from crack in Florida dam."