Playing in the rain...

We finally got some good rain today, so I decided to take a ride out near the swamp. Best pictures this season!!!! I was expecting to see some turtles, but found this nice ratsnake instead. Not bad for only about 20 minutes of riding.

I love when they pose for pictures :)
http://www.odatria.com/Pictures/5-25-09/rat1.jpg

Head shot
http://www.odatria.com/Pictures/5-25-09/rat2.jpg

Alot of the times I find snakes 'tranced out' on the road. No movement, no tongue action, nothing.
http://www.odatria.com/Pictures/5-25-09/rat3.jpg

Crawling across rocks must feel awkward. I see alot of snakes move across rocks with these 'tight' curls. Nothing like when they shoot through grass. This was a size reference shot for myself.....those are 40" tongs, so I say around 46" or so.
http://www.odatria.com/Pictures/5-25-09/rat4.jpg

Thanks for sharing :)

That looks sort of like a black rat snake.

Ben, yo Ben, is that a black rat snake?

Does anyone know if that's a black rat snake?

The world is waiting to know, if that's a black rat snake.

That was a cool pose. Sometimes, read as always, I wish I lived outside the city.

Neat find.

Looks so crazy all kinked up like that on the road.

E. o. lindheimeri?

I have the same tongs ;)

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

Looks so crazy all kinked up like that on the road.

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It's weird. If you look really close you'll see that at every spot the body kinks, there's a pebble that the body is pushing against.

It's even weirder on smoother roads. They inch along resembling centipedes that have no legs. It ripples.

Perhaps it's a Texas Rat with all that pink.

Where is Ben?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wilomn

Does anyone know if that's a black rat snake?

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Texas rat snake :D No black ratsnakes in southeastern LA to my knowledge.

Called it!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

so I decided to take a ride out near the swamp.

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took a ride out to the swamp eh:rolleyes: didn't have to drive to far in Louisiana:D:D:P

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Originally Posted by dc1

took a ride out to the swamp eh:rolleyes: didn't have to drive to far in Louisiana:D:D:P

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...about 2 miles up the road ;)