Male Black Mambas Filmed in Deadly Combat for a Mate: 'My Heart Was Racing'

While driving through his family farm, Flippie Nortje came across something unusual. In front of him on the dirt track were two deadly black mambas, writhing around each other in a vicious brawl. "I had a big fright when they rolled out of the grass in front of my vehicle," Nortje told Newsweek. "You could hear the scales of snakes rubbing against each other when they were twisting, especially when they turned fast. They also made a hissing sound [and] a slapping sound when they hit the ground." Nortje took out his phone and began to record the wrestling reptiles. "They had no worries about what was happening around them and were in their own moment," he said. "I got out of my vehicle and approached with caution, keeping a reasonable safe distance between me and them [...] My heart was racing the entire time."

Black mambas are one of the deadliest snakes in the world with a venom so powerful that it can kill a human in as little as 20 minutes by shutting down their nervous system. The species is native to Africa and can be found across savannas, rocky hills and open woodlands. However, they do occasionally slither into residential areas, looking for prey and places to hide. Black mambas are the longest venomous snake in Africa, according to National Geographic, and can reach lengths of up to 14 feet. They are also one of the fastest snake species in the world, reaching speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour. Although the species is fairly shy, it can become aggressive when provoked.

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"Mambas are fast and dangerous and I kept on saying that in the back of my mind [as I approached]," Nortje said. "But I knew this was [something] special happening in front of me." Male snakes follow the scent of a female in order to mate, but this can often result in multiple suitors arriving at the same place. In these situations, the males will wrap around each other to compete for the female until one gives way to the other. "They don't kill each other, it's just a wrestling match till one gives up and moves off," snake catcher Nick Evans said in a Facebook post about the behavior in June 2022. Although Evans said the behavior is fairly common at this time of year, it is still very unusual to see it in person. "Living on a family farm in South Africa I'm always out and about in the nature so can get the odd sighting now and then but still mambas are not that common," Nortje said. "You do see the odd one now and then but never two at one spot. "Was amazing to capture the moment and share it."