Snakes – the very word creates fear in many people. However, snakes play an important role in our fragile ecosystem as well as in agriculture; they control the population of harmful rodents and pests, thereby assisting people.

I recently got a ‘surprise present’ while returning from duty. On the way back, I spotted a snake lying on the road, looking like a rope. On close examination, I found that it was a Common Trinket – a non-poisonous species, but a bit aggressive if handled. It is active during the day as well as at night.

The Common Trinket: An Aggressor!

I made use of the opportunity to photograph this beauty. These snakes are rarely sighted as they tend to hide beneath logs and leaf litters for shelter and protection. On approaching closer to the snake, I watched his neck swell, and he moved back open-mouthed as if to strike abruptly – a warning that he should be left alone.

Leave Me Alone!

The part of the snake’s body which is directly in contact with the ground is highly sensitive to vibrations. Therefore, a snake can sense other animals approaching by detecting faint vibrations present in the air and on the ground. The snake calmed down after a couple of minutes. This gave me a very good opportunity to capture some memorable moments on film, before I released the reptile back into its habitat safely.

A Sight to Behold!

These beautiful snakes can be identified by their tan and chocolate brown colour, with two prominent dark stripes on the hind part of their bodies and light bands and checks on their fore part.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 8th, 2011 at 11:35 am and is filed under Reptiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.