Massive gathering of snow fleas turns snow black in Russia

TULA, Russia, May 24 (UPI) -- A seemingly black section of snow in Russia turned out to have an unsettling cause: thousands of snow fleas gathered in a clump.

The video, filmed earlier this year in Tula Oblast, shows some black specks on a section of snow before panning over to large black area marring the otherwise white surface.

A closer look reveals the black spots are snow fleas, and the larger area represents a massive gathering of the creatures.

The uploader said snow fleas are well suited to life in the cold due to a special type of protein in their bodies.

"They may be disgusting but are no risk for humans and are just having fun in the snow," the uploader wrote.