Looking straight at a tiger snake
Mainland Tiger Snake
Canon EOS R1 with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 1250, 800mm, f/9.0 and 1/1250])
I must have initially walked past this Mainland Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus) and only noticed it when I back tracked along the fence line to photograph the birdlife. When I first noticed the snake, it was slithering through the low plants on the edge of the wetlands. I took a few photographs of it from the other side of the fence before the snake turned towards the fence. It didn’t make a straight line for the fence but continued to meander through the plants, constantly flicking its tongue out. When it was on the same side of the fence as me, where the plants were mown so there were no obstructions between the lens and the snake, I laid down do try to take an eye-level shot of the snake. I remained still and was very happy when the snake turned towards me. The snake wasn’t aggressive and I gave it space. When I had my shots, I slowly stood up so as not to startle the snake. It simply paused, changed its direction and continued its meandering. Afterwards, I had to keep an eye on where it was because I didn’t want to accidentally stand on the poor reptile while it was on the rest area side of the fence. Eventually, the snake must have decided that there was no prey in the area and crossed back beneath the fence to the vegetation beside the wetland. Tiger snakes favour living near wetlands and small bodies of water where there is plenty of prey. They are not aggressive, preferring to flee if possible. I certainly found this individual to be docile, with no aggressive behaviour at all. For me, it was incredible to closely observe this animal moving around its environment, constantly sensing its surroundings with its tongue, and being able to take this photo really made my day.
