![]() "Eighteen different states protect them by law because of declining populations," Vandeventer said. Rebranded in 1943 by Milton Bradley as Chutes and Ladders, most of us have sat with a version of it at some. That low reproduction rate coupled with habitat destruction and human persecution appears to be taking its toll on the snakes, making such a sighting even less likely. Chances are youve played Snakes and Ladders. "It takes that long to replenish their fat stores." "They don't breed for three to four years," Vandeventer said. The other is because female timber rattlesnakes don't breed very often. They only fight if the two snakes encounter each other while following a female that is ready to breed. If startled, the snake may go straight to. One of the reasons the behavior is rarely seen is because rattlesnakes don't seek out other males to fight. When a rattlesnake chooses to stand its ground, it takes a defensive pose and shakes its rattle to ward off predators. "I've encountered over 2,000 rattlesnakes in the field and I've never seen it." "It's extremely rare to see," Vandeventer said. According to Vandeventer, it is probably more rare than Russell realized. Russell felt he was witnessing something rarely seen. The loser may find another female." A rare sighting Typically, the larger snake wins and passes long his genes. "They'll fight sometimes for over an hour until one tires and retreats. "They were fighting for territory and breeding rights," Vandeventer said. Herpetologist Terry Vandeventer of Hinds County explained that mid-August through September is the breeding season for timber rattlesnakes, and now is its peak. All the timber rattlesnakes I've come across are as docile as you can find compared to a cottonmouth or something like that." The sounds of their shaking tail get louder as a person approaches, but then. "I've always grown up around snakes, " Russell said. Rattlesnakes have evolved a clever method of convincing humans that danger is closer than they think, say scientists. Russell said he was asked repeatedly on social media if he killed the snakes and why he didn't kill them. "That was definitely one of the cooler things I've seen." 'I don't see the point in killing one' "We watched them for about 20 minutes and they were still going at it when we left," Russell said. "They were probably 4½ to 5 feet for both of them," Russell said. "The conclusion was it was two males fighting and the female was close by," Russell said. However, he learned differently after calling a friend who is knowledgeable about snakes. ![]() ![]() Russell said the group's initial thought was the two snakes were performing some type of mating ritual. They buzzed at us when we first walked up, but they went right back at it." It was like they were trying to best each other, I guess. "They'd slowly go at it and then start flailing. "It was like something out of National Geographic.
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