Last weekend, during a family reunion, in the Belgian Ardennes my daughter came back from a walk in the wood with this smooth snake.
First I told her to do not do that again, because she did not know if they are dangerous. Second I took my oppertunity to make some (or more) pictures of this animal.
This is one of them. Ik like it very much because it was my first meeting with this creature. The snake was moving up in to a big oak tree were I put him on. He was crawling between the gaps of the outer bark of this tree which was also covered with moss.
I did not have enough DoF to get his complete tongue sharp. Hope you like it to.
All C&C is welcome. Thanks for looking.
What a great encounter Tom. Where I was brought up, you don't often get a second chance in handling snakes - as most are venomous! Good timing with the tougue-flick but composition is a little too central for me.
Nice image... I am sure someone with more knowledge than I will comment but I do beleive that this is a European Protected species (Your Daughter will not have know that though) which means that you cannot...
kill, injure or capture them;
disturb them in any way
damage or destroy their habitat
You put it somewhere and still managed a picture? In my experience they are off like a rocket the second you put them down. Phil is right about the high level of protection given to this species. In the UK you need an English Nature licence to handle or capture them in any way. I am not sure what the position is in Belgium, merely that the species is protected throughout the EC. As Phil also points out, your daughter will not have known that, and in view of the initial title given to this picture presumably neither did you!
Discussion
6 repliesFirst I told her to do not do that again, because she did not know if they are dangerous. Second I took my oppertunity to make some (or more) pictures of this animal.
This is one of them. Ik like it very much because it was my first meeting with this creature. The snake was moving up in to a big oak tree were I put him on. He was crawling between the gaps of the outer bark of this tree which was also covered with moss.
I did not have enough DoF to get his complete tongue sharp. Hope you like it to.
All C&C is welcome. Thanks for looking.
Edwin Kats
Tim
kill, injure or capture them;
disturb them in any way
damage or destroy their habitat
All the best...
David