Viper vs. Viper! Never-Before-Seen Combat Recorded

Copperheads and cottonmouths — both vipers — don't usually battle each other. Or do they?
Credit: Dennis W Donohue/Kristian Bell/Shutterstock.com
Male snakes in the viper family — a venomous group of snakes that have hinged fangs — are known for engaging in fierce wrestling matches when they compete for females. But combat between two different viper species has never been observed — until now.
On Sept. 6, Dawn Kelly was astounded to come across an unexpected and intense battle between a cottonmouth and a copperhead near her cabin in Snowball, Arkansas, close to the Buffalo National River Park in the northern part of the state.
Kelly captured video footage of the unusual encounter on her smartphone, and shared it with biologist David Steen, an assistant research professor at Auburn University Museum of Natural History in Alabama. Steen is an active science communicator on Twitter (@AlongsideWild) and on his blog, Living Alongside Wildlife. He is particularly well-known for answering questions from the public about snakes. [101 Animal Photographs You'll Go Wild Over]