An Australian family has shared footage of a writhing ball of snakes spotted in the Royal National Park.
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Mother Karin Byrne filmed the tangled group of diamond pythons while walking between Jibbon and Shelley Beach in NSW.
While a tangle of serpents might be nightmare for some, the family was delighted by the strange sight.
"Get your hands away from it," Ms Byrne tells her curious children.
Tangles like this are called "mating balls" - a group sexual behaviour common to many species.
In snakes, this usually involve up to 100 males competing to mate with the same female.
Diamond pythons are a non-venomous species sometimes kept as pets.
Experts advise it is dangerous to approach a snake mating ball even if the species is non-venomous.
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Dan Holmes
Dan is a Journalist with the Daily Advertiser in Wagga, covering policy, politics and culture. He is the winner of 2022's Ossie award for domestic and family violence reporting. Tips and pitches to: dan.holmes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Dan is a Journalist with the Daily Advertiser in Wagga, covering policy, politics and culture. He is the winner of 2022's Ossie award for domestic and family violence reporting. Tips and pitches to: dan.holmes@austcommunitymedia.com.au
