Mississippi

‘I was amazed by it.’ Rattlesnakes fighting captured on video in Mississippi

Published

2 years ago

August 8, 2024

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‘I was amazed by it.’ Rattlesnakes fighting captured on video in Mississippi

‘I’ve never seen it before. It was definitely unique to watch. It’s probably at the top of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.’

A man from Mississippi said he sees hundreds of timber rattlesnakes each year, but what he came across on Tuesday afternoon while working at his home was nothing short of amazing.

“I was cutting my grass,” said Paul Rhodes of Como, a small town about 45 minutes South of Memphis. “We have a trail that goes back to a deer stand and I keep it cut.

“They were out there in the middle of the lane out in the wide open. There were two of them when I first saw them.”

What he saw was two timber rattlesnakes fighting and it was something he’d never seen before. He didn’t have his phone with him, so he just watched. After a few minutes, he decided to go get his phone to shoot video and when he returned, the event became even more unusual.

“When I came back and started recording, a third one came into the frame,” Rhodes said. “From what it sounds like, seeing three of them together is pretty rare.

“I was amazed by it. I’ve never seen it before. It was definitely unique to watch. It’s probably at the top of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.”

From beautiful to freakish: Here are 4 of the most bizarre snakes found in Mississippi

Letting rattlesnakes do what rattlesnakes do

After shooting video, Rhodes went back to work and that’s when he noticed something else unusual.

“I drove the mower right by them and they never checked up,” Rhodes said. “They paid me no attention.”

Rhodes said he finished mowing and came back. The snakes were still fighting. At some point, he said the largest snake crawled away, but two continued to fight. Rhodes said he decided to leave and let them fight it out without him.

“I had a lot of people say, ‘Why didn’t you kill them,’” Rhodes said. “They were just doing their thing in their environment.”

And that environment seems to be full of them. Rhodes said where he lives, timber rattlesnakes are basically a part of daily life.

“We see hundreds and hundreds a year,” Rhodes said. “They’re just everywhere.”

What kind of snake is that? Ten of the more common you’ll likely see in Mississippi

Why do rattlesnakes fight?

Rhodes said when he first saw the snakes, he thought they were mating, but as he watched he determined the behavior was too aggressive. Colt Mooney, a Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks biologist with extensive knowledge of reptiles, confirmed Rhodes’ thinking.

“People often confuse it for mating, but it’s not,” Mooney said.

What Rhodes captured on video was male snakes establishing dominance for breeding rights. Mooney said timber rattlesnakes and other Mississippi pit vipers primarily breed during August through fall, so this is when most of fighting takes place. He said the snakes don’t hurt each other, they’re just trying to prove who’s the boss.

“I call it full-body thumb wrestling since they don’t have arms,” Mooney said. “The first one to tire loses.”

The snakes ignoring Rhodes isn’t uncommon. Mooney said when they’re fighting, snakes are totally focused on the battle and basically oblivious to what’s going on around them. He said what is uncommon is witnessing three of them in combat. For Rhodes, it was unusual enough that he isn’t likely to forget it.

“It will stay with me a long time,” Rhodes said. “It was definitely unique and cool to watch.”

Mississippi venomous snakes: How to identify them and what to do, and not do, if bitten

Do you have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

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Mississippi

Mississippi College Baseball Wins Series vs. West Florida for First Time

Published

10 hours ago

April 19, 2026

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Mississippi College Baseball Wins Series vs. West Florida for First Time

Mississippi College baseball has won the series against West Florida for the first time ever

The Choctaws have been playing UWF since 2015

MC won the first two games and put on a bit of a comeback in game 3

Next: GSC at Delta St., then Conference Tournament

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Mississippi

George County High School senior killed in Highway 26 crash, MHP says

Published

22 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

George County High School senior killed in Highway 26 crash, MHP says

GEORGE COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) — A George County High School senior is dead after an SUV hit him while bicycling on Highway 26 Friday night.

Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) officials said at 8:15 p.m. the MHP responded to a fatal crash on Highway 26 in George County.

Those officials said a Ford SUV traveling west on Highway 26 collided with 18-year-old Tyree Bradley of McLain, Mississippi, who was bicycling.

Bradley was fatally injured and died at the scene, MHP officials said.

The crash remains under investigation by the MHP.

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Mississippi

Mississippi State Drops Series Opener at Texas A&M Despite Late Chances

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi State Drops Series Opener at Texas A&M Despite Late Chances

Some losses feel like they drag on longer than the box score suggests, and Mississippi State’s 3-1 opener at Texas A&M fits that category.

It wasn’t a blowout. It wasn’t a game where the Bulldogs looked outmatched.

It was just one of those nights where the early mistakes stuck around and the offense never quite found the swing that could shake them loose.

The frustrating part is how quickly the hole formed. Two solo homers and a wild pitch in the first two innings put Mississippi State behind 3-0, and that was basically the ballgame.

Against a top tier SEC team on the road, spotting three runs that early is a tough ask. The Bulldogs didn’t fold, but they also didn’t cash in when the door cracked open.

“I liked our fight. I think we’re really just working through some things offensively, and trying to stay together,” Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts said. “This team still believes, and we’re going to battle and fight every chance we get, and I think I saw a lot of that. I’m encouraged for what that means for us moving forward, but, you know, they’re a good hitting team, and we’ve got to be able to shut them down early. I don’t think Peja [Goold] had her best stuff, but she continued to battle out there and find ways to get outs.”

They had chances. Two runners stranded in the fifth. Two more in the sixth. Another in the seventh. Des Rivera finally got the Bulldogs on the board with an RBI single, but the big hit that usually shows up for this lineup never arrived.

It wasn’t a lack of traffic. It was a lack of finish.

If there was a bright spot, it came from the bullpen. Delainey Everett gave Mississippi State exactly what it needed after the rocky start.

“That was just a huge relief appearance by Delaney to keep us in it,” Ricketts said. “It’s really good to have her back and healthy these last few weeks because these are the moments where we really need her and rely on her. We know that she’s going to be a big part of the remainder of the season going forward as well.”

Three hitless innings, one baserunner, and a reminder that she’s quietly putting together a strong stretch.

There were individual positives too. Nadia Barbary keeps climbing the doubles list. Kiarra Sells keeps finding ways on base.

But the bigger picture is simple. Mississippi State is now 6-10 in the SEC, and the margin for error is shrinking. Nights like this one are the difference between climbing back into the race and staying stuck in the middle.

They get another shot this morning with the schedule bumped up for weather. The formula isn’t complicated.

Clean up the early innings, keep getting quality relief, and find one or two timely swings. The Bulldogs didn’t get them Friday. They’ll need them today.

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