Sunday, July 20, 2008

Fang Club

How Does This Character Tip The, Er, Scales?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON


While we were in Malaysia, I suddenly spotted this slender snake on a wooden handrail. It was early in the morning, so maybe he decided to do a bit of foraging before the temperature climbed higher as the sun rose.

This bloke was quite long. I wasn't thinking measurements (I was thinking "Get the camera ready and frame the shot before he slithers away") but I reckon he would have been just under six feet or about 1.8 metres in length.

Luckily the light was good, so I was able to walk past him and take the first shot, with the light across his body and interesting tones across the wooden handrail, as well as the dappled effect of the ocean and the rock on the right.

Then I decided to get a bit closer to take the second shot, to try and capture the light and shadow falling across the colours of his scales. It's really interesting to see how much lighter his underbelly is than the rest of his body - and to see that he had his head raised.

Macro? Er, maybe not. Especially when you consider I didn't know what sort of snake he was. I went off for breakfast - and I suspect he did as well!

If there were two of them, I might have mistaken them for a pair of windscreen vipers.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

32 comments:

Katney said...

Six feet long?

And you got closer?

You are MAD, man!

If you think the same of my bear pictures (ending, of course, with you are MAD, woman.) then let me remind you that some of us crop our photos. The one that looks like he is twenty feet away is the same one as the first one--enlarged.

Mom Knows Everything said...

Ewwww ewww ewwww......snakes freak me right out! 6 feet long!!! I would have ran screaming like a little girl. LOL

Maggie May said...

Welcome back!
If you had gone any closer you might never have come back!

Anonymous said...

OC says, "Flying Tree Snake. Not poisonous to humans." Now, where's that macro?

Anonymous said...

More specifically, the Golden Tree Snake, Chrysopelea ornata. It's a colubrid snake, not a viper. I read that it will bite, but that its venom isn't harmful to humans. So it would have to summon one of its buddies if it wished to vipe you out.

becky aka theRAV said...

Hi David! I don't normally do this... but would you kindly critic my 1st sky watch photo of the Liberty birds posted on Friday & tell me what you would do differently with it? Thank you.

Unknown said...

Stunning shots, David!

Cath said...

Windscreen vipers? *double groan* That's what a holiday does to you huh?

I agree with Katney. You are off our head! But that second shot - wow. Fantastic. And I don't even like snakes.
Although this one is particularly pretty. And obliging.

Cath said...

Sorry - you are off YOUR head, not our head...

i beati said...

You are right quite a bit lighter how's the vacation ??

Skeeter said...

That's a great image David. Even though the snake was so long, it looks pencil thin. That would have made a difficult model for you unless the animal was willing to cooperate.

Great shot!

Best wishes,
Skeeter

Anonymous said...

Yikes - I would be far away the moment I saw that fellow. And, silly me, I'm headed back into the land of the big king brown in a week :(

Tess Kincaid said...

How did he get so far away from my mailbox?

Nice shot!

Christy said...

Cool shot. Looking at the pictures I wouldn't think it was dangerous to humans but then again I am not right there near it either am I. Snakes don't bother me to much but I also don't want to touch one either.

Jennifer S said...

Windscreen vipers...ha!

Yeah, I wouldn't have gotten very close, either. And 6 feet? ((((shudders))))

SandyCarlson said...

Wow, David. In that last shot he looks kind of sweet! I guess their camouflage is so good they manage even to blend in with the man-made stuff. Imagine if you had needed the rail at that time!

Rhea said...

What a slender, gorgeous snake! I'm more used to seeing the honking big ones here in Texas.

Great Camera Critters share!

Kahshe Cottager said...

Ohhh, I do not deal well with snakes and we only have the little harmless garter snakes here!
My Camera Critters Here and Here

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh... that's so freaky!

My Camera Critter is posted HERE.

Hope you can drop by. Happy weekends!

Misty DawnS said...

That is one HECK of a long snake! But, man oh man is he pretty!

So, we've heard from two people that this critter is a "tree snake"... geesh, can you imagine this guy dropping down out of a tree on ya? It would definitely make your adrenaline start pumping, even if you weren't afraid of snakes!

ratmammy said...

ooh!! snakes scare me, even little ones!!

Texas Travelers said...

Nice photos.
Just a little closer. (grin).

Come visit Martha's Giraffe,
Troy

Kappa no He said...

Gorgeous! I love snakes.

Sandi McBride said...

He's beautiful...and this coming from the daughter of a woman who only ever wanted to meet a snake on a path if she had her hoe in hand! I heard early on that the only good snake is a dead snake...and while I don't want to cuddle one, they have a particular beauty all their own. Maybe that's why Eve found the serpent so compelling.
Sandi

Lorraine said...

Wow, it's quite pretty, do you have a zoom? the light on it is beautiful

D... said...

6 feet? Wow! I'm not a fan of snakes but he's a cutie.

AppleDebbie said...

I love the beautiful yellow coloration on his underbelly and his face is actually kind of cute!
"Windscreen vipers?" ::GROAN:: (I was going to make a similar comment but I hate to make an asp out of myself...)

Corey~living and loving said...

Hey David....I meant to comment on this one the yesterday...but my computer froze up.

love it. I just took some snake photos as well. I haven't shared them yet though. I love the second shot. well done.

come on over and see MY new look. :) oh and my CC and photohunt. I conbined those two this week.

Hilary said...

Vinshield vipers... snort! Good thing it didn't slither into your wife's bra.. she'd be singing "Fangs for the mammary" ;)

Christie O. said...

wow. you seriously take amazing pictures! the tennis ball was awesome too! thanks for stopping by my blog by the way and for the kind comment :)

Lana Gramlich said...

Beautiful! I love snakes. Ironically, snakes are allegedly ruled by the astronomical sign of Libra, so your mention of "tipping the scales" made me chuckle. ;)

alicesg said...

Yikes, this is scary. I would be running away at the first sight..lol.