Posted by John Moore on January 21, 2010 at 2:10 PM
I finally got around to processing these photos of a Rat Snake the boys and I ran across uphill from the Little Missouri River in the Ouachitas back in early November. It retreated to a sapling then hung out and let me snap several photos.
ISO 800, 200mm, f/4.0, 1/125 sec.
Posted by John Moore on January 21, 2010 at 2:11 PM
Another shot...
Posted by Isaac Szabo on January 21, 2010 at 3:04 PM
Nice find, John - November's a little late in the year to see many snakes. Looks like a Black Ratsnake.
Posted by John Moore on January 21, 2010 at 3:25 PM
Thanks for the info Isaac; I do believe you're right... the rat snake description is a much better fit. They're excellent climbers.
Posted by Randy Wilson on January 21, 2010 at 4:02 PM
Hello, little friend! Glad I'm not a rat!
Nice shots, John. In the top photo, the head is nice and sharp and well positioned in the frame, and you've got a catch light in the eye. There are enough surroundings to give a good sense of place without being cluttered.
Do you mind sharing the focal length and aperture settings?
Posted by Larry Roberts on January 21, 2010 at 4:12 PM
Nice!
Posted by Larry Fischer on January 21, 2010 at 6:17 PM
What is the difference between a rat snake and a black snake??
the fisch
Posted by Isaac Szabo on January 21, 2010 at 11:50 PM
Larry -
Who knows? Both of these common names are frequently used to describe the snake species in John's photos (Pantherophis obsoletus), but they are used to describe other snake species as well. Common names like these can cause a lot of confusion as there is no standard name for each species, and that's a big reason why scientific names are so important to biologists.
Posted by Darren Huski on January 22, 2010 at 5:52 AM
Creepy! Have all the fun you want with the snakes.
Discussion
8 repliesISO 800, 200mm, f/4.0, 1/125 sec.
Nice shots, John. In the top photo, the head is nice and sharp and well positioned in the frame, and you've got a catch light in the eye. There are enough surroundings to give a good sense of place without being cluttered.
Do you mind sharing the focal length and aperture settings?
the fisch
Who knows? Both of these common names are frequently used to describe the snake species in John's photos (Pantherophis obsoletus), but they are used to describe other snake species as well. Common names like these can cause a lot of confusion as there is no standard name for each species, and that's a big reason why scientific names are so important to biologists.