SNAKES alive, these two 6m pythons were snapped doing battle for territorial rights at Yorkeys Knob Boating Club yesterday.

The club’s two resident reptiles were out and about as the weather warmed but both being male, went into combat when their paths crossed.

View snake picture gallery.

"When males come across each other they go into combat, like a territorial stance instead of biting, to show greater strength and vitality," Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service project officer Paul O’Callaghan told The Cairns Post."Once it warms up and the nights get milder snakes have two things on their minds: finding a mate and food.

"If they were mating the female would have been on the ground and the snake slides himself over her for stimulation."

Witness to the combat, Jamie Mathieson who was working on club maintenance, said the snakes were found in the old club house in the back room making a bit of noise.

"I wasn’t sure what they were doing but they looked like they were fighting," Mr Mathieson said.

"I could hear them breathing deep and they were taking 30 second breaths.

"They’d lift their heads up and wrap them together and intertwine them."

But the pythons are no strangers to the club.

"They’ve been here for about four or five years," he said.

"All the boating staff know about them and are wary of them and we’ve never discouraged them from being here."

Share this article