A popular Reddit clip is giving viewers a close-up look at one of nature's more convincing bluffers. The video shows a harmless rhombic egg eater that suddenly makes itself resemble an angry and highly venomous puff adder.
The display is dramatic. According to wildlife rescuers, it's also the kind of misunderstanding that gets these snakes killed.
What's happening?
A post on r/NatureIsF***ingLit racked up more than 31,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments, with viewers marveling at the snake's intimidation routine.
The original poster titled it "Intimidating defensive display of the rhombic egg eater, a non-venomous snake," and noted that the animal "was being released after being removed from a situation which put its life in danger."
(Click here if the embedded video doesn't appear.)
In the clip, the rhombic egg eater, Dasypeltis scabra, puffs up its body, hisses loudly, flattens its head into a diamond-like shape, and draws itself into the classic S-coil associated with striking vipers.
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The resemblance to a puff adder is convincing enough that many viewers said they never would have guessed the snake was harmless.
That's the point. The species uses Batesian mimicry, meaning it imitates dangerous snakes to scare off predators.
But unlike the venomous adders and vipers it copies, the rhombic egg eater has no venom and no fangs. Its diet consists of bird eggs, which it swallows intact and cracks internally with specialized vertebrae.
Why does it matter?
Wildlife rescuers in southern Africa say many of these harmless snakes are killed every year because people mistake them for venomous species and panic.
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As development expands into wild habitats and more animals end up near homes, roads, and farms, defensive encounters like this can become more common.
In this case, the snake had already been removed from a dangerous situation.
What are people saying?
Commenters were quick to praise the snake's Batesian mimicry, with several noting that the act was so believable they initially assumed it really was a puff adder.
Others pointed to the species' unusual biology and the importance of not judging a book by its cover.
"PSA: This video shows why head shape isn't a good indicator for whether a snake is venomous or not," a user shared. "Many non venomous snakes puff out their cheeks to make themselves look intimidating, and many venomous snakes don't have a triangular head shape."
Rescuers and wildlife-minded commenters also emphasized the darker side of the clip in that many harmless egg eaters never get the chance to slither away.
"Tacking on: don't kill snakes unless you absolutely have to," a poster suggested. "They're valuable pest control and generally want nothing to do with you, so just back off and leave them alone."
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