VIPER SWALLOWING A PREY

Viper smelling it`s way to the dead mouse

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash 2 stk SB-R200, f13,0, 1/50, -1,0, ISO 800

As I was fortunate to do my closeup photography on all three recident species of snakes in Norway (check out blog from May), I actually had two "wild ideas" about pushing the limits on my work with these species. One of these ideas was to document the common viper (Vipera berus / huggorm) swallow a prey. This has to my knowledge hardly been done before (if you know otherwise : please let me know), although my childhood hero photographer and biologist Per Hafslund presented a picture of a viper swallowing a frog..... some time back in the sixties. The reasons for this is obvious : the viper is a shy animal, this is of course a situation you just don`t stumble into and get in position to shoot and, ... most important : the viper is known not to take food in captivity.

Knowing that these animals are protected by law, I took myself the liberty to "borrow" a big female for a limited period of time. I named the lady Hanne Hugh and worked with her continuously to make her accept my sounds and careful movements. . Natural food for vipers are mice, and mousetraps were active in the nearby forest to "fill the deep freezer".. It`s long and complicated story, but the short version is as follows :

A dead mouse was collected in the freezer and melted to room temperature. However, it was considered essential to warm the mouse to "live / living" temperature. Using the microwave oven in the kitchen seemed like an obvious solution, ... but my wife refused it !!! OK; plan B : the hairdryer came in handy for the purpose. The warm mouse was then held in continuous motion in front of the snake.... and it worked !!! She stroke ! She opened her jaws to 180 degrees and in a glimpse inserted her long fangs into the dead mouse. Twice !!

Now, what happens next in nature is that the viper lets the mouse run away (if holding it she might risk an injury from a mousebite), the mouse however quickly dies and the snake tracks it down by smell. Same thing was done here : the dead mouse was pulled / dragged along the moss leaving a track of smell and put in position for pictures.

Waiting ! Minutes felt like hours. I was afraid the snake might hear my heartbeats ! Nothing happened. I was starting to get that good old failure-feeling. Finally she started smelling and locating the prey. The rest is documented in the pictures.

Controlled situation ? Yes, of course, .... and I am proud of this work.

As always when it comes to local "snakery" : a warm thank you to my friend Paal. Without his knowledge and experience this would not have been possible.

PS : The lady is now back where she came from, happy and well fed !!

PS : The other "wild idea" about local snake photography ? Coming soon !!

PS : Sorry for writing so long. Next time I`ll be shorter !!

After curling up around the prey the viper has located the head a the mouse (Yellownecked mouse / Stor skogmus) and starts the swallowing process.

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f16,0, 1/60, ISO 1600

Prey : Bank vole / klatremus

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f16,0, 1/160, -1,0, ISO 2000

Prey : Bank vole / klatremus

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f16,0, 1/100, -0,33, ISO 2000

Prey : Yellownecked mouse / Stor skogmus

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f16,0, 1/80, ISO 1600

Prey : Bank vole / klatremus

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash 2 stk SB-R200, f11,0, 1/50, -1,00, ISO 800

Prey : Bank vole / klatremus

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f16,0, 1/80, -0,33, ISO 2000

Prey : Bank vole / klatremus

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f16,0, 1/80, -0,33, ISO 2000

The viper is wringing her jaws to get them back in position as the mouse disappears in "the dark"

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f 16,0, 1/80, -0,33, ISO 2000

Prey : Yellownecked mouse / stor skogmus

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f 16,0, 1/40, ISO 1600

Prey : Yellownecked mouse / stor skogmus

D3s,m 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f16,0, 1/50, ISO 1600

Prey : Bank vole / klatremus

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f16,0, 1/60, -0,33, ISO 2000

The last hair on tip of the mouse-tail disappears...

D3s, 105 mm micro 2,8, fill in flash SB900, f16,0, 1/50, -0,33, ISO 2000