LOCAL SNAKE HAPPINESS 2021

A male grass-snake / buorm restlessly searching the terrain to find a receptacle female

Oslo, April 14th 2021. Nikon 200-400 4,0 /350 mm, f/9,0, 1/800, ISO 900

As some of you already may know : I have a big heart for snakes, and the reason for this is complex : 

1) Snakes have a very interesting biology, 2) Snakes live a hidden and very secretive life, 3) Snakes are beautiful animals, 3) Many people have irrational fear for snakes and human cultures & religions around the world have given snake supernatural traits and finally 4) : Some snakes are dangerous and claim a lot of respect.

In cold Norway we have been soberly blessed with only 3 species of snakes : Adder / Huggorm (Vipera berus), Grass-snake / Buorm (Natrix natrix natrix) and Smooth-snake / Slettsnok (Coronella austraica), the first one to go longest north and to highest altitude, the two latter ones restricted to warmer coastal areas in southern Norway. 

I find it difficult to do good snake photography, snakes are in principle just "a line with a frozen face in one end". No mimics, no visible expression of feelings or emotions and relatively little action. So how do you make good snake photography ? How do you add the little extra ? I don't honestly know, and if I`d known I would have done it all the time. However I try very had to accomplish something that I cannot define myself ! 

This is a compilation of local snakes pictures from 2021 season. I have skipped the basic ones that you, in principle, have seen many times before, and tried to pick "the special ones". I can only hope that you`ll like them ! 

I hope that all "my snakes" out there will make it through the winter and that we will meet again next spring.

Thanks to biologist Pål Sørensen who is doing scientific research on all 3 Norwegian species. I have been lucky to assist him in the field through the season and this is something I appreciate a lot. Also thanks to Thor Håkonsen & Are Hogner for inspiration & great company.  

 

He can smell the female, but cannot find her. Male grass-snake / buorm in dry spring leaves.

Frogn, April 18th 2021. Nikon 200-400 4,0 /400 mm, f/9,0, 1/640, ISO 1400

Grass-snakes mating. Many smaller males compete to mate with the bigger female.

Frogn, April 16th 2021. Nikon 200-400 4,0 / 400 mm, f/9,0, 1/640, ISO 1400

Grass-snakes mating. Many males coil around the receptacle female.

Frogn, April 16th 2021. Nikon 200-400 4,0 / 400 mm, f/8,0, 1/1000, ISO 800

A huge female grass-snake measuring 1,24 m. Biggest I've ever seen so far.

Larvik, April 21st 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/7,1, 1/640, ISO 1400

Female grass-snake, a local "Anaconda"

Larvik, April 21st 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/7,1, 1/1000, ISO 2000

Deep down in the misty, green "Underworld of the Unexpected" lies ... a grass-snake

Frogn, May 27th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/13,0, 1/500, ISO 2200

Grass-snake

Frogn, May 27th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/13,0, 1/500, ISO 2200

A grass-snake winding through a meadow of Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum acre)

Frogn, June 18th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/4,0, 1/2500, ISO 360

Grass-snake

Frogn, August 22nd 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/6,3, 1/500, ISO 1100

A female adder ... posing in an central perspective angle

Frogn, June 16th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/13,0, 1/400, ISO 2000

A female black adder with a blue-ish colour shine

Vestby, June 7th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/5,6, 1/1000, ISO 1800

The "blue" female black adder

Vestby, June 7th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/9,0, 1/1250, ISO 2500

The "blue" female adder with coastal midsummer flower colours

Vestby, June 7th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/10,0, 1/1250, ISO 4500

A female adder`s venom fangs

Frogn, May 27th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/16,0, 1/1250, ISO 1800

Thick leader gloves is recommended when handling adders

Frogn, May 27th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/8,0, 1/1250, ISO 640

Smooth-snakes / slettsnok have their name from their scales beeing non-keeled. They are basically hard to shoot, not only because they are rare in Norway, but also because they live a hidden & secretive life and mostly keep their head down to the ground (which doesn't`t make good pictures)

Larvik, April 21st 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/7,1, 1/800, ISO 720

Smooth-snake 

Hurum, July 30th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/6,3, 1/800, ISO 2200

      This smooth-snake looks massive, but measures only 70 cm and weighs only 110 grams 

Hurum, July 30th 2021. Sigma 180 2,8 macro, f/14,0, 1/160, ISO 2000

 Smooth-snakes are non-venomous and completely harmless, but they can still bite if beeing handled. Since snakes don't chew their food, but swallow their prey whole, there is relatively little bacteria in their mouth. I never had any infection from bites from non-venomous snakes