Orgy of snakes stunned Florida city dwellers

The Lakeland City authorities have instructed residents to stay away from a section of the park that served as the programming site for mass pairing of water snakes. "They are non-venomous and are not usually aggressive"

Have an important role in the ecosystem. The snakes in the park

Water snakes in a park in Lakeland, Florida, February 2020 (Photo: From Facebook, Untitled)

A Florida state city has closed part of a park in its territory after residents spotted dozens of mating snakes, presumably as part of their annual gathering. "They seem to have converged for mating," reads the Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department's Facebook page, which included a photo of one of the snakes in a park near Lake Hollingsworth southwest of Orlando.

Authorities on Thursday closed the area where the reptiles gathered, the day before Valentine's Day. "It's for the public good and snakes," the department said. "They are non-venomous and are usually non-aggressive, as long as humans do not disturb them. After mating, they should resort to separate ways." Authorities say it is a species of local sex snake to the area, which has an important part of the ecosystem.

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Tim Newberry, a city resident whose snake photos posted on his Facebook page drew authorities' attention, told a local channel he saw about 25 snakes that day.