Driving solo through the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, one Wild traveller had double the luck with two same-species encounters. One made love, the other war – but at first sight it wasn’t clear which was which.
Make love not war, some say… But in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park both play an integral part in the everyday circle of life. A few kilometres north of Nossob proved a hotspot for Wild traveller Theodor Poettinger, who witnessed two very different rituals.
Theodor quickly hit the record button when two puff adders got tangled in a spellbinding ‘dance’, and a lion couple decided love is in the air.
Theodor shared both his gripping videos with Wild:
“I was alone in my 4×4 and lucky to be at the right place at the right time, I guess. It was my third visit to the Kgalagadi. This time I stayed for two weeks, spending time at Twee Rivieren, Urikaruus, Kieliekrankie, Nossob, Gharagab and Bitterpan,” he says.
Since 2006 Theodor has been visiting Southern Africa at least once a year. “I’ve had a lot of impressive sightings in the Kruger such as lions mating, but puff adders ‘dancing’? Certainly not!”
Dirty dancing?
At first we thought these puff adders were performing some kind of mating dance. Very far from the truth, it turned out, when snake expert and author Johan Marais had a look.
“Great video! This is not a mating dance, but two males in combat. It’s a wrestling match with the stronger male trying to push the weaker male to the ground. The winner gets to mate with the female. More than half a dozen males sometimes follow the pheromones of a single female and then the fight starts,” Johan explains.
Love me or leave me
Did you know?
- During the course of one to two days, lions mate four times an hour.
- In the lion kingdom, either the male or female can initiate mating.
- Mating lasts less than a minute each round.
Additional source: Wild Ways. Peter Apps. Struik Nature. 2014.
With regard to the fighting puff adders, a comment to Johan Marais; they do not at any stage appear to try to bite one another?
Dancing Puff adders – awesome account.
But Dirty dancing?
Does EVERYTHING need to be made ‘dirty’?
Really Wild – had higher expectations!
Well to be fair it was in the dirt and it did look like they were dancing so it was quite an apt heading in my opinion
Great video, last year on a night drive in the Kruger we saw a pair of lions mating right beside our vehicle. Once the mating had finished the male began to roar, you could almost feel the sides of the vehicle vibrate and the hairs on the backs of our necks really stood up, shortly after the female walked past the male and swished her tail across his nose as if to say sorry pal your are not finished yet and he then followed her into the bush.
I saw a similar puff adder dance/fight in Harkerville forest reserve about 40 years ago. Watched for a while then left them to it.
Fantastic encounter!
Why does EVERYONE always have to be so serious? I honestly think the “dirty” in dancing was meant to be tongue in cheek and light hearted. Have a sense of humor PLEASE!
WILD thank you for another great story. Always interesting and fun to read – keep doing what you doing!
I agree with Vicky. Take a chill pill Claire. This is nature at its finest.
Thank you Wild for sharing these two videos with us.
the final dance in the film Dirty dancing was a beautiful and tasteful dance routine much like the two puffy’s sequence. thanks WILD
Pofadders fasineer my nog altyd. Dit is beslis die “paringsdans ” pragtige video.
Those who have seen the movie “Dirty Dancing” know any reference is always meant as positive and beautiful, which the movie was. An excellent video of the two puffies, thank you for sharing with us and may our creatures carry on “dancing in the dirt”
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comment thank you for sharing your expriences and videos with us.