Two snakes have been caught on camera near Cessnock in a battle of strength to win the heart - or at least the mating rights - of the local female snake.
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Chelsea Williams spotted the two snakes in a very serious tussle on her family’s property at Quorrobolong.
At first she thought she had stumbled upon a heated moment between a male and female snake, but the wrestling reptiles were actually in the middle of a masculine battle for courting rights.
“First time I've ever seen them [wrestling],” Ms Williams said.
“They are oblivious to anything happening around them.”
The two reptiles, believed to be red-bellied black snakes, wrestled for more than an hour. It gave Ms Williams enough time to grab her phone and record the footage.
Hunter Valley Zoo owner Jason Pearson said there would have been a female snake nearby waiting to see who would win and therefore be the strongest partner to mate with.
“At this time of the year the snakes are coming out of hibernation and are looking for girlfriend,” he said.
“The two males will wrestle until one pins the other down and wins dominance over that area and the female. They will mate over the next few weeks.”
Mr Pearson reminded people to leave snakes alone, especially during breeding season.
“People don’t realise that snakes don’t have ears,” he said.
“So it doesn’t matter how much you scream and carry on, as long as you stand still and don’t cause any vibrations, the snake will just move on and not even notice you.”
Two feisty male carpet pythons were also captured on video wrestling one another on a south-east Queensland property this week. WATCH the video here.