I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I had walked up on a Garter Snake on the Wonder Brook trails. We don’t, (or at least I don’t) see many snakes in Maine. I am sure they are here, all around us, but my encounters over the past 17 years can be counted on the fingers of both hands, with a couple of fingers left over. This specimen was abut 2 feet long. It is most likely the Common Garter Snake, which you can see, in one of its sub-species, pretty much anywhere in the US except the desert Southwest.

When I first saw it its head was buried under the pine needles which obscure part of the body in these shots. I thought it might be dead, so I touched it with the tip of my hiking stick and, very much alive, it slithered out to this position, which it held while I took all the pics I wanted.

The close ups were taken at 1680mm equivalent field of view (840mm optical plus 2x digital tel-extender function on the Canon SX40HS) so I was no where near as close as it might look. After a few shots from above, I moved off the side of the trail and got down lower, using the flip out LCD on the Canon, to get the side on views from about 5 feet. I especially like the eye…that big pupil and the metalic copper iris…very striking. If you look closely in either of the closest shots you will see me, reflected in the pupil.

The last shot is at the normal long end of the zoom, without the 2x digital extender function.

Like I said, the snake was so cooperative, I got all the shots I could want…then I stepped over it and went on down the trail.

Canon SX40HS. Program with iContrast and –1/3EV exposure compensation. 1) 1600mm equivalent. f5.8 @ 1/200th @ ISO 250. 2) 300mm equivalent. f5 @ 1/200th @ ISO 160. 3) 1680mm equivalent. f5.8 @ 1/1000th @ ISO 400. 4) 800mm. f5.8 @ 1/320th@ ISO 200. Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness.