Amazing Snake Den Video

If you don't like snakes, you're best advised to not look at the video below. As it shows 75,000 of them writhing around in a single pit.

This incredible video, released by National Geographic, documents the world's largest gathering of snakes, in the Narcisse Snake Dens of Manitoba, Canada.

Every spring, thousands of red-sided garter snakes come together in limestone caves to form mating balls, where up to a hundred snakes try to mate with a single female. According to photographer Paul Colangelo, the female is "desperately trying to get out of the pit". We can understand that: it must be like a Saturday night at Oceana times a hundred.

While it might look like something out of Indiana Jones, the snakes are, in fact, completely harmless, and people are encouraged to pick them up and interact with them.

Just remember not to do that next time you're in Australia. A very different kettle of fish - or rather, pit of snakes - over there.