Coming across one rattlesnake is rare enough and scary enough for many hikers. Much less coming across two. What's even a rarer sight is discovering two rattlesnakes engaged in reptilian warfare. However, that's exactly what one hiker managed to do. A group of teachers were hiking through the Blue Hills Reservation when they stumbled upon two snakes.
The two rattlesnakes were in the middle of the path. And they were fighting each other. "They were like 'no no, stop stop look,'" said elementary school Teacher Erin Noonan. Noonan and another teacher, Susan, Maloney, filmed the intense moment.
"I've been hiking the Blue Hills my whole life," Maloney said. "Never seen one in there so I was surprised."
The two teachers were hiking as part of a teacher hiking club they joined. "We have a little hiking club," Noonan said. "We're chit- chatting and we're walking, and there were two trailing behind a little bit and they stopped and they were yelling to us."
"Snakes! Snakes in the path," Maloney said. According to Noonan, the snakes looked less like they were fighting and more like they were dancing. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. The teachers actually captured a rare fight between two opposing snakes. Now, they're planning to use it in their studies.
Rattlesnakes In Motion
"They love studying snakes and frogs, and it does lead into like OK why don't we do a little studying about snakes? Why don't we learn about them," Noonan said. However, the teachers were slightly concerned about getting too close to the rattlesnakes. "What if you got bit? What are you supposed to do?"
If you do get bit by a snake, Jesse Leddick, Wildlife Assistant Director for Natural Heritage and Endangered Species, suggests call 911 and going to the hospital for anti-venom.
"They've been here for thousands of years. There aren't many of them left," Leddick said."Back in the late 1800s there were actually rattlesnake bounties." However, the animal is becoming rare.
