A dramatic new chapter has unfolded at a Sunshine Coast library, where two battling snakes tumbled off the roof.
The estimated two-metre pythons were locked in a struggle atop the Maleny Library, before plummeting to the concrete below, where they resumed their fight.
Footage captured by a hinterland resident and shared via Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers showed the reptiles twisting, turning and falling in front of gasping onlookers.
SCSC snake handler Stuart McKenzie explained the scenario.
“That’s two male carpet pythons actually in combat over a female nearby,” he said.
“It was a combatting ritual, you could sort of say, where the aim of the game is to try and dominate the other one by pushing his head down or outmaneuvering or out-body-working the other snake.
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“The victor usually goes and finds the female and the other one buggers off.”
Mr McKenzie said snake fights were common around the region during spring.
“It’s breeding season for snakes,” he said.
“Essentially, it’s the time of year where a lot of snakes are on the move and a lot of males clash with each other and will combat like we’ve seen in the video.
“This will go on for two to three months.”
He said the two snakes were likely slightly hurt by the fall.
“I’ve got no doubt it probably would have hurt a little bit but, as you can see in the video, it didn’t really faze them much,” he said.
“They just kept going as if nothing happened.
“I’ve seen snakes fall from much higher than that.
“They are pretty resilient creatures and can fall off trees and roofs like that and not get injured.”
