This muted and darkly colored copperhead was in the bamboo grove stalking a little baby corn snake. In the shade of the bamboo it was hard to tell what types of snake they were, what the hec was going on, and if the corn snake was a baby copperhead or not... what I was waiting for was the actual moment of strike- when the copperhead was going to eat the corn snake. There was also consideration about whether I would join the stalk party, turn the whole moment upside down and kill the copperhead to eat it.
I chose to observe, since I am not the best (mentally) at killing (although I bet I'd be good at cooking a snake, being from Louisiana and all). If you click on the actual pictures here you can view a larger version which is much more intense and frightening (especially that one right above) because then you can look a copperhead right in the eye!
Both snakes moved so slow you could barely detect actual movement, unless you turned and looked the other way and then looked back again to see the position had changed. They were frozen - so long, the shadows in the dark bamboo would play tricks on ya' eyes, making everything look like it slithered. The copperhead snake was approximately 2 1/2 feet long (maybe a little longer) and pretty well fed judging by it's girthy radius.
The wild thing is... I walked off for a few minutes and came back and the little corn snake had disappeared. Swallowed? Could it have actually gotten away? Does the copperhead even have to make effort to swallow something that small? 
Spooky and beautiful!XoXo
Sadly (or gladly), I believe the baby got away. You were only gone for a few minutes, but it takes a long, long time for a snake to swallow its prey completely. Ya shoulda eaten it (marinated with Mojo, then smoked for a few hours, then glazed a la unagi).
ReplyDeleteI suspect your camera might be fancy one. Could you set it up on a tripod and have it snap photos at intervals? Missing moments and all...
Hey Gratuitous!
ReplyDeleteI do have a tripod a friend got me at a garage sale (lucky find!)... and I am going to pull out the direction booklet to my camera right now... and it IS a book!!! The camera is a Cannon XTi Rebel EOS digital - it was given to me as a gift a few years ago (3 maybe?)(lucky gift!)
Were I am from, marinating it with "mojo" is voodoo. Are you suggesting casting spells on the snake in order to cook it properly? ;)
Hah! Funny girl. I'm talking about Mojo Criollo:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.recipezaar.com/Mojo-Criollo-135130
Besides, I likes me some food flavored with magic of any sort. And we don't have enough ritual in our lives these days anyway. I'm not talking about your 'Nawlins chicken-feet and rattles, but a simple circle of thanks before every meal. Maybe it doesn't make the food taste better, but it does make the guests taste better.
Those are amazing photos. A snake is a perfectly shaped meal for a snake. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteNice shots, the corn snake was in reality a king snake. Had it been a little larger and it would have ate the Copperhead with out thinking.
ReplyDelete