Creepy or cool? This snake and I stared at each other for a while on Monday at Huntley Meadows Park before it decided that it had had enough and silently slithered away. One of my Facebook friends praised me for winning a staring contest with a snake, but I think that it may have simply gotten bored or had satisfied its curiosity.
I am not sure of the species, but think that it may be an Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Cool beyond words. I managed a first photo of a lovely yellow-bellied water snake a couple of weeks ago, and its expression was so appealing, it surprised me. Then, on Monday, I scared up two snakes in a field. They were big, but they clearly weren’t anymore interested in a confrontation than I was. Poof! and they were gone.
It’s always a challenge to figure out how to approach snakes, both literally and figuratively. I have a healthy appreciation for a snake’s ability to strike without warning from a good distance away, so I am wary and used a 180mm macro lens for this shot, which gave me a good amount of stand-off distance.
Great portrait! I haven’t encountered a snake yet this year. Then again, the loudness of my children gives the snakes ample opportunity to scamper even if they have emerged to warm themselves.
A lawyer with a sense of humor should use this as a business card.
I have the same view of lawyers 🙂
Wow! Great photo!!
Thanks. I am always cautious when dealing with a subject like a snake, but I love getting close enough to get a good look at their eyes.