Two Huge Rattlesnakes Block Hiker's Path in Indiana Forest

A hiker has been stopped in his tracks by two enormous rattlesnakes blocking his path as they wound around each other in a bizarre dance.

Nick Engler was hiking along the Grubb Ridge Trail near Bloomington, Indiana, when he captured multiple videos of the two snakes undulating back and forth with their heads raised off the ground. He then posted the videos on Facebook, where they amassed many excited and terrified comments.

"So apparently this is two males," Engler commented under his post. "They are competing for breeding rights for a female that is likely nearby. And there are also probably other males 'waiting' to compete as well. I did not know this at the time and would not have stuck around filming for 8 minutes if I had."

Rattlesnakes, so-called because of the keratin rattle at the end of their tails, are venomous, and represent a large proportion of snakebite injuries in the U.S. There are 36 species of rattlesnake, but many people in the comments of the videos have suggested that these two snakes may be timber rattlesnakes, the only rattlesnake species present in most of the north-eastern U.S.

Timber rattlesnakes, immortalized on the "Don't Tread on Me" Gadsden flag, are currently in their mating season, meaning that the males will be competing for mating rights to the females.

Timber rattlesnakes can grow to up to 60 inches long, and are viviparous, birthing up to 13 live young rather than laying eggs. They are threatened throughout much of their native range, so the sight of two males performing a mating ritual is a rare phenomenon.

Male timber rattlesnakes perform a courtship dance to compete for females. When a female is nearby, the two competing males face each other and intertwine their necks, attempting to push the other to the ground to establish their dominance and suitability for mating. Although the female isn't visible in Engler's videos, she is likely hidden nearby.

Many other species of animals use dancing as a way to signal their mating quality both to other males and choosy females. This is most memorably seen in birds, who often use their bright plumages and loud songs to capture attention: a male greater sage-grouse, for example, will puff out the white feathers around their collar, and inflate two yellow air sacs, making popping and whistling noises as they dance for a female.

During their mating season, as seen in the videos posted by Engler, the snakes can be more commonly encountered by humans on hikes, or their pets. Despite not usually acting aggressive unless provoked, the timber rattlesnake is venomous: earlier this August, a famed West Virginia rattlesnake expert died after he was bitten by a timber rattlesnake

Indiana State Parks advises wearing closed-toed shoes, using a flashlight after dark, and keeping pets leashed to avoid rattlesnake bites during their active season.