Red-bellied Black Snakes are beautiful looking creatures
Juvenile Red-bellied Black Snake warming itself
Canon EOS R5 Mk II with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM Zoom [ISO 400, 500mm, f/8.0 and 1/400])
This Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) was probably a juvenile because it was only about 40-50cm long. It was warming itself on a patch of dirt in Narooma when I noticed it one morning in January. I thought that the snake was very calm in my presence, allowing me to get close to it. However, just when I was thinking about changing my lens to get a wider shot, the snake abruptly turned around and headed down a hole. Despite the snake departing, I was happy to have at least taken some photographs because these reptiles seem to be very timid. I have seen a few of them around and normally, as soon as they detect me they go. As an example, a few days later, I was crossing a patch of grass, returning from a swim, so I didn’t have my camera, when I saw an adult one moving in my general direction. I stopped to see how close it would approach but it also stopped. It was about three meters from me and when I took a step forward, its upper body looped into the air away from me, before the snake made off quickly.
Because I had some detailed photographs of this individual I was able to admire the beauty of the reptile. Its scales were incredibly smooth and nicely overlaying. The black colouring was so dark, with the visible patches red nicely setting it off. The snake’s big, black eyes looked more like they were precious stones than eyes. The snake just looked amazing and I was glad that I finally had a good photo of one, even if it was just a juvenile.
