Western Cottonmouth

[mjdmike]

Thanks for the comments everyone - they are much appreciated.

Originally Posted by ifly223

Just picked up my 100-400 from a fellow TPF member today. Cant wait to get something like this. I would certainly welcome the 6 ft minimum focus distance in this case. : )

Congrats! That's an excellent lens, you'll get some great shots with it.

Originally Posted by Roy

Some people would think you are nuts to try that. I think it's fun as long as he's sniffing. Were you close enough to smell him?

Well to be honest, I do have a few loose screws. I was close enough, but never smelled him - probably because I was upwind of him. But that is one rank smell!

Originally Posted by danchez

fangs man, we want to see some fangs!!! LOL.

No fangs this time. He was pretty calm, and on a mission to find dinner. I had to run in front of him and wave my hands in his face just to get him to stop. When they're like that you have to provoke them to make him curl up show fangs. I guess I felt bad for bothering him in the first place, so left him alone.

[jfoureyes]

Wow! Mike you did it again! The last image is just wonderful! It really shows the pattern on the lower jaw...it is putting a big sniff on you too!! I want to find one of these guys so bad this year. I've got my watersnake, now I want a cottonmouth or copperhead to go along with it. Great job on this series! Thanks for posting them!!!

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Those are some great shots.

Yeah as long as one of his sis/bros doesn't come up on your blind side as your on your belly shooting this one all is fine :)

With him flat like that he isn't going to go to far real fast though they can travel at a good clip.

What, it was about a 4 ft snake? Did you happen to see how many black and tan rings he had just above his rattles? (In sweetwater at the rattlesnake roundup they think that is a reasonable way to tell age not number of rows of rattles).

[snidow]

Mike, I love this series and that first shot is very cool with the head up like that. It's a bit different then what I normally see but I like it.

[Stephen P]

I love number 3...well done.

[ttusa]

#3 gets my vote! I'm too chicken to photograph a snake ( I think....)

[mjdmike]

Thanks again everyone.

Originally Posted by DEMDeepEllumMusic

Those are some great shots.

Yeah as long as one of his sis/bros doesn't come up on your blind side as your on your belly shooting this one all is fine :)

With him flat like that he isn't going to go to far real fast though they can travel at a good clip.

What, it was about a 4 ft snake? Did you happen to see how many black and tan rings he had just above his rattles? (In sweetwater at the rattlesnake roundup they think that is a reasonable way to tell age not number of rows of rattles).

Yeah, believe me, I was watching for others. No rattles on this guy, and I'm guessing he was around 26 inches -- average for a cottonmouth. He wasn't fat like some I've seen.