As I was walking down a trail last Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I noticed a large black snake preparing to cross the trail. I know that there are very few poisonous snakes in my area, so I was not worried about being bitten. Instead I stopped walking and focused my camera on an open area that the snake would be moving through.
The snake was moving quite slowly and was flicking its tongue a lot, which I thought was a little strange. Later, when I was reviewing the images on my computer, I noticed that the eyes of the snake were cloudy and bluish, a definite sign that the snake was getting ready to shed its skin, a process that generally takes about a week. Perhaps the snake’s vision was impaired and it was using its tongue to assist in navigation.
I believe that this is a Central Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis), a large snake that is quite common in Virginia. After I captured a few images and the snake finished crossing the trail and I continued along it, with my eyes and ears on alert to find my next subject to photograph.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 