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Garter snakes coming out of hibernation and into a tens of thousands strong mating ball in southern Manitoba, Canada
(lemmy.world)
this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2025
627 points (99.2% liked)
Mildly Interesting
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My kid used to love going for walks in the woods with me.
One day we came across one of these mating balls, and they had never seen a garter snake before. Despite my assurances that these are literally one of the most harmless things you can find in the woods, my kid has never willingly accompanied me for hikes since.
I’m something of a mating ball, myself.
Snorgy
Ok so why are you taking photos and not joining in on the fun?
Thanks, I hate it
I mean yeah it's a giant snake ball but the worst thing a garter can do to you is stink on you as a means of self defense 😄 They're tiny and goofy and among the few potential pet snakes that can be kept without being fed vertebrates.
Well garden spiders also don't pose any harm, but I don't fancy getting into a giant ball of them
That's fair enough
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I didnt know Canada was Australia. I always thought Canada was too cold for this shit.
Garter snakes are harmless, they run from you and don't bite.
Even if they did bite it would still be harmless, tiny teeth, low bite force, no venom, would hardly hurt if it managed to hurt at all.
I wish people were mating like this. Not that I want to, just it would be hilarious
I could finally find out how chewing 5 gum supposedly feels
Admit you want to climb into the snake orgy a bit
Indiana Jones hates this.
I'll never look at this scene the same way again.
Neither will he.
Whomp whomp.
Humans really do do everything so wrong
Good thing the dont have feet, can you imagine the time lost while all the Canadian snakes had to appologize to each other?
I've been in one of these before it's nice.
Fuck all of this. I hate snakes more than Indiana Jones does. Last week I was taking laundry down to the basement and stepped directly onto a garter snake. Horrifying.
Poor snake
The snake was probably horrified as well. At least it was a garter and not a rattler or mamba.
I'm going to have nightmares about this.
Worlds biggest gangbang
I think there have been many gangbangs of larger scale throughout history.
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Humans do this the first weekend of summer vacation at the lake/river.
i kinda wanna know what lakes you go to now
Danger noodle ball of Nope
Nah, just a regular noodle ball of nope. Unless they bite you, it gets infected and you choose to ignore it, about the worst a garter snake will do to you is cover whatever part of you is touching them in some stinky piss. Like, leave them alone unless it's absolutely necessary, but garter snakes are pretty chill.
Garter snakes were long thought to be non-venomous, but discoveries in the early 2000s revealed that they produce a neurotoxic venom.[12] Despite this, garter snakes cannot seriously injure or kill humans with the small amounts of comparatively mild venom they produce and they also lack an effective means of delivering it. In a few cases, some swelling and bruising has been reported.[13] They do have enlarged teeth in the back of their mouths[14] but their gums are significantly larger and the secretions of their Duvernoy's gland are only mildly toxic.[13][15]
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This isn't where I parked my car.
... and some of them have social anxiety ...
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