Mimicry of the species

I post these pictures to show how difficult it can be to observe snakes in their biotopes, specially the viper species who have a multitude of different patterns and colors, you can't find 2 the same it's impossible. Are ALL different! On the pictures the snakes can look really big, but usually not overpass 60-80 cm (80 is exceptional). Many times it happened to me to see nothing and the snake was just 30cm of my feet, I never been attacked, NEVER, I don't say this can't happen but the snake will breath strong or disappear fast to hide, the venom (in the case of vipers) is too precious to eat for them. If I can get so close is because I walk very slow without stamp the feet (like we usually do in walking) on the ground. The cases of viper bites happens when the snake is surprised and can't escape, removing stones of screes,  put the hands in exposed vegetations and biotopes or by manipulating them without precautions. The viper does NOT attack, it's only defense, and fear. They will rarely appear in high frequented places (like paths etc...), I always have to find them in ''difficult'' accesses and they don't travel many meters except in husbanding periods (march-may), they are always close to a place to hide and will always choose to escape rather than take the risk to be killed. 

Please do NOT KILL those specimens, still happens to discover slashed ones by ignorant people, and those persons should stay in cities rather than waste their time in nature if they can't understand it and have respect of it. Snakes a very important for the food chain and first of all are ALL protected! Don't capture them this is restricted too, isn't it better to have a walk in nature and have such a great meeting rather than make suffer an animal by putting it in a box of 1 meter (usually less) for the rest of his days and give him a shit life behind a window?

I wont apology for my words but I really don't see the ''fun'' at taking a wild specie and put it in a terrarium for the rest of its life, ok if you find one stricken and want to heal it, but otherwise I think it's pathetic and disrespectful to do it. Many abuses occurs with the Ammodytes Vipers because they are beautiful specimens, but in my case (is my opinion and not necessary the only good one) I can't appreciate have a specie getting bored in a terrarium and waiting to die. Just see on internet techniques for ''force-feeding'' is disgusting!

 I wish you live the same! enough talked let's place for the pictures :)

Here is the case of the Natrix Maura, can you find it?

Here for the Vipera Aspis Atra

And another little selection here not hard to find but those pictures have been taken as the snake was, it has not been manipulated or so :

''Vipera Aspis Atra'' New species

Yesterday woke up early to go in wine yards near Martigny looking to find the ''Coronella Austriaca'' and ''Zamenis Longissimus'' (That both escaped me 3 times between last months and last year GRRRR)... I stop the car, take my bag and camera, the sun is just out and 2 minutes after walking I see a Vipera Aspis Atra crossing the road (without taking care if cars were arriving :P), took it for a few shots (I discovered this specimen last year at same place so I didn't took many pictures of it). Then keep walking, I met a guy on the way who give me advices for snakes in the region, very kind from him cause exactly where he said to me to go, I discovered the second specimen curled in the vegetation. No coronella for me today, I take my car to another place not far and discovered the last specimen (no Aesculapian one), a Vipera Aspis Atra again! But was a good day anyway, is better than come back with nothing in the memory card!

This is the one who crossed the road, I put it in a safe place far from cars and walkers (btw strange head from front)

Very common color and patterns

Here is the 2nd specimen found in the day, I was close to walk on it (see on the right of the page for mimicry section), the camouflage in the vegetation was really good.

The last specimen here, I tried something new with a new lens for my camera and the result is pretty bad I agree, as I was fixing the settings the Vipera escaped and I wouldn't pull it out of the brambles, it will have hurt it and cause damage. So this is the only picture I have... 

Clean energy snake :)

Hierophis viridiflavus 2

I'm soon gonna visit some other countries to find other species, the sun is back here after 2 weeks of rain and as I was having a walk with my girlfriend in nature, I found this big one resting in the grass near a little river, again it was really angry and fast, hit many times the glove and the pants, and the only way to take pictures is have it in the hand... I never succeeded to make a picture of this specie quiet and complete. If anyone has the solution it's welcome (no i wont put a stone on it :) ). Soon other species to come, the next trip will be for ''Vipera Aspis Francisciredi'', ''Natrix Natrix Melanistic (hopefully) and ''Vipera Ammodytes''...

Almost the same size :)

Portrait 

Looking for escape

Vipera Berus 2

Today was cloudy, raining and even windy, but I decided to take my bag and go have a walk around anyway, looking for reptiles, salamanders or others... After 30 minutes of walk the sun finally appeared for 15 minutes , I made a stop to take a drink and this Viper passed between my legs, lucky again! Beautiful color, totally unified, it was so calm and quiet, didn't tried to bite me and no aggressive behavior, a real model, and very patient... Is the first time I make pictures with such clouds so it took me a while to make the good settings... I hope the result is good!

Attack?

Beautiful color, and almost unified

As you can see, in this period of the year the vegetation is very dense, so it is harder to see them in the biotopes

Vipera Aspis Atra & Berus Melanistic

 Here is a variety of color that can be found in some snake species but also in all nature, the melanistic ones! The black is dominant in the mixture of colors, many Vipers and also Colubridae adapt themselves in high altitudes to receive faster the effects of the sun, that is primordial in their lives. Not all places have this kind of populations in their biotopes, and actually I have found only the Vipera Aspis Atra and Berus with the melanistic aspect, but there is many others like the Natrix Natrix, Vipera Nikolskii, Vipera Seoani and more... Some are totally black, even the eye, but the first pictures above show a specimen with high concentration of black but not 100%, the colors are interesting, with some red on the sides... The second pictures show the Vipera Berus, with only a light color on the bottom and the red eye, this specimen was pregnant...

VIPERA ASPIS ATRA 

We can notice the white line on the side of this one, typical in the Aspis Atra

The patterns are very hard to see with the domination of black

VIPERA BERUS

Bad frame because of the aggressiveness of the specimen, non-stop moving

We can notice here the light color above

Philodryas Chamissonis

! ! ! NON-EUROPEAN SPECIE ! ! !

I recently visited Chile, and when having a walk in the countryside of the Bio-Bio (near Concepcion), this little snake was on the way... Is a venomous snake but its bite is not fatal, this one was a juvenile and don't even tried to bite me or so. It is oviparous and can reach 1,60m and is very ''popular'' in Chile. This is a juvenile one, you can see it with its size. I really like the color it has, unfortunately I haven't seen any adult form, this could be the opportunity to go back there and make a better research!

Yes, very SMALL :)

I had many problems with my camera that day, and the snake wanted to escape all time, was impossible to have it quiet, this is why the frame is so bad etc...

Vipera Ursinii

This little Viper lives in 2 places in France, where we meet people who specially work at its protection, building biotopes etc... It menaced of extinction and there's probably 30 of its specie no more left in France. The venom is by far the most non dangerous one in the Vipera species, its a very small snake, this one is an adult and is 45cm long. The colors and patterns are absolutely beautiful. It was very fast, aggressive and hyperactive, ''jumping'' in front of us to attack, absolutely no fear observed in its comportment. I would like to specially thank my friend Stéphane for making those pictures possible. I never post pictures of snake i haven't find by myself otherwise but for this one is the exception! I hope he makes a blog soon, he is the one who introduced me into this fascinating world and has a picture collection of the most beautiful Vipers Aspis and more snakes you can find in Swiss.

Tongue out 

Portrait

Biotope 

Molt but... no snake around...

Vipera Berus 1

Awesome day spent in some biotopes I've been almost... 6 times and found absolutely NOTHING, this time I went again.. a little desperate and finally I found the specie I was looking for, the ''Vipera Berus'', very present in all europe, I found this one in the last spot you can find it in the Swiss Alps. Its got venom like the other vipers, and as I read about it, pretty more dangerous than the Aspis species. I found other Berus but always the melanistic ones, that I will post later with an article about the melanistic snakes. This one is young almost 25-30cm, you can see the difference with the aspis with its size, the nose, patterns and colors that are typical of the Berus. I let you compare with my precedent article about the Aspis Atra. Here are the pictures, enjoy it ! thanks for having a look.

PURE LUCK for that angle

The patterns are very different than the Aspis

You can see the color and also the nose.

Another awesome posture

Portrait

PLEASE, remember that it is a lot of time spend to find those reptiles, many hours of work, search, this is why those pictures are reserved and copyrighted, I have no problem in the use of them, but please write other an email at : g.bovey@hotmail.com before do anything.

! ! ! THANK YOU ! ! !