2.14.2009

Racer


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More pictures from Friday...
This long, thin fellow was out enjoying the mild temps, too. Treebeard and I pulled over to the shoreline to stretch our legs, check on some long leaf pines that were planted in the early nineties and scope out the eagles' nest nearby. We had only been out of the canoe for a second when Treebeard saw this northern black racer, Coluber constrictor constrictor.
He was pretty calm for a racer so after I snapped a few pictures I leaned down to put the camera on the ground next to him for an eye to eye perspective.
Apparently he was not impressed.
Before I could press the button to take the picture, the snake wheeled around and shot off toward our canoe and disappeared from view.
Such an aptly named snake -- even in February.

7 comments:

Tom Arbour said...

Very cool that you can observe herps in February. I've seen a black racer only once in Ohio in southern Ohio. However, up in Northwest Ohio and on the Lake Erie Islands we have blue racers- I'm still waiting to see one in the field.

KaHolly said...

We only have Black Racers in the southern most portion of Maine and I have never seen one.

swamp4me said...

Tom,
Black racers are very common here. They provide a great startle factor when one is walking through dense tangles ;)

KaHolly,
On our previous trips to Danforth, Maine we have observed two species of snakes: garter and ring-neck. We love snakes, so it was a treat to see them.

Anonymous said...

Swmapy-

Great photo's. Sadly I have to report that our Mud Snake passed on last weekend. I suspect from lack of adequate food but not sure. He's now residing in the freezer with the dead Green-winged Teal, I suspect for taxidermy and display. We also had a bee hive found at the youth training area but because of Africanized Bees they had to destroy the nest.
Maineiac

swamp4me said...

Maineiac,
Bummer. I'm sorry to hear about your mud snake -- they are such cool critters. Luckily, no Africanized bees up this way.

Rurality said...

Ooh, you had a snake already! Still waiting here.

swamp4me said...

rurality,
I am always happy to see a snake out and about. Some will be moving down your way soon, I'm sure.