For those with ophidiophobia (extreme fear of snakes)… look away.
Seeing one snake can be troubling enough for some, so this video of three rattlesnakes battling it out could push the snake-averse population over the edge. If you are a fan of nature though and all of the beautiful-yet-strange things that can happen in the great outdoors, you’ll probably get a kick out of this viral clip.
Paul Rhodes, a Mississippi man (whom I hope is paired up in life with a Louisiana Woman), was out taking care of his lawn when he came across what he thought at first was just two rattlesnakes locked in a heated battle. He told the Clarion Ledger that even just with the duo of rattlers, his breath was taken away:
“I was cutting my grass. We have a trail that goes back to a deer stand and I keep it cut. They were out there in the middle of the lane out in the wide open. There were two of them when I first saw them.”
Rhodes didn’t have a phone with him at the time, but felt as though this would be a good nature moment to capture on camera (good judgement since the clip has now gone viral). So he went back to his house to grab his device, and somehow by the time he got back, the situation had graduated to an even crazier, hard-to-believe level:
“When I came back and started recording, a third one came into the frame. From what it sounds like, seeing three of them together is pretty rare. I was amazed by it. I’ve never seen it before. It was definitely unique to watch. It’s probably at the top of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”
I agree with Mr. Rhodes. This is a really cool and unique video to watch – and I’m glad I’m watching it on video. Props to the Mississippi man for keeping his cool and capturing this insane fight between three rattlesnakes:
