Combat-dance between WHAT?
Usually it's 2 male rattlesnakes doing this- to see who's the strongest to mate with the nearest female, but this is strange- it's a combat dance between a copperhead & a cottonmouth that was caught on camera a few years back. They're not normally competitors- so all I can think is that one of them is wearing the "wrong scent" & this is a case of mistaken identity? Anyway, have a watch & see what you think? They refused to speak on camera....;) -that figures. :snake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHA81Tfk3og
Re: Combat-dance between WHAT?
If I'm judging a wrestling match, I give the win to the cottonmouth. If it's a beauty contest, the copperhead.
Re: Combat-dance between WHAT?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Snagrio
Can't they interbreed? I know there's some crazy hybrids out there in the trade already and iirc copperheads and cottonmouths are closely related. Granted, such hybrids are from enforced pairings that would normally never happen (for example ball and retic pythons) but inter-species pairings in the wild are nonetheless not unheard of.
I'm not sure about that- but these two seem to think so? :rofl:
Re: Combat-dance between WHAT?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Snagrio
Can't they interbreed? I know there's some crazy hybrids out there in the trade already and iirc copperheads and cottonmouths are closely related. Granted, such hybrids are from enforced pairings that would normally never happen (for example ball and retic pythons) but inter-species pairings in the wild are nonetheless not unheard of.
They are in the same genus (Agkistrodon) so technically it is possible. I'm not sure if that's the case here, but it's possible.
Re: Combat-dance between WHAT?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Luvyna
Wow, very interesting behaviour, it's cool someone captured this! I wonder what was going through their minds lol
Maybe it's a practical joke, just messing with onlookers? :D
