A snake has been filmed slithering up a wall, as if it was in a real-life game of Snake.
The National Park Service posted the footage of the Sonoran mountain kingsnake to its Facebook page, where it can be seen slithering up a wall, in between bricks.
"If it runs into itself, game over," the park service said in a caption. "This Sonoran Mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana) has only one game. Snake. And it's pretty good at it. Here it shows off those skills, hey, no cheating, on the walls of the visitor center at Coronado National Monument in Arizona."
Snake is popular online video game where the player maneuvers a long line—the "snake"—around several obstacles.
The snake in the video is medium sized, with red, white and black bands all over its body.
These snakes are not dangerous, however, they look similar to the venomous coral snake, thus avoiding predation from other animals.
"Either way, if you come across a snake, keep your distance and don't hiss it off," the park service said.
The Sonoran mountain kingsnake can be found across Arizona, east-central Nevada, central and western Utah and southwestern New Mexico. It usually lives in rocky habitats, near streams or springs, preferring wet areas close to vegetation.
They are usually active during the day when they hunt for prey. They typically eat lizards, frogs, other small snakes and small mammals.
Snakes in the U.S. tend to be more active during the warmer summer months. As the weather warms in Arizona, there are bound to be more sightings in populated areas.
Snakes can lift themselves up walls simply by wedging themselves into gaps and crevices. Their bodies are not sticky, meaning no suction is involved. Instead, they have incredibly strong muscles, which they can use to go up walls. Even small snakes have between 10,000 and 15,000 muscles.
Users took to Facebook to comment on the video.
"The way they climb walls is so amazing," one Facebook user said.
"That wall is going to keep that snake entertained for hours," another person commented.
Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about snakes? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
