A meeting with the serpent king...

[Raj_55555]

I've grown up in a village where people dying of snake bites was as common as people slipping on a wet surface. Every other day we'd hear some villager was killed by a cobra or a crate, and finding them inside one's home wasn't as uncommon as you'd think. Like most kids my age, I've also had a few close encounters when I was a child, probably the reason why I don't understand why people get so scared on spotting a rat snake 100 yards away. King cobras though, they've always fascinated me, and this was the first time I was able to see one up close, and I had my D7K with me. The sheer size of them is intimidating, although they are less poisonous than garden variety cobras, what they lack in potency they make up with sheer quantity of venom. They are also the largest among all poisonous snakes, and primarily feed only on other snakes; how cool is that?

#1. King quenching his thirst:

The King: quenching his thirst by Rajarshi Dasgupta, on Flickr

#2. A funny hat

The King: quenching his thirst by Rajarshi Dasgupta, on Flickr

#3. Out for a snack

Out for a snack! by Rajarshi Dasgupta, on Flickr

#4. The Kings defence

The king's defence by Rajarshi Dasgupta, on Flickr

#5. Showing off!

Out for a snack! by Rajarshi Dasgupta, on Flickr

 

[baturn]

Very nice and informative. I would need a 600mm minimum..

 

[tirediron]

Very nice and informative. I would need a 600mm minimum..

Fixed that for you!

 

[MSnowy]

Nice set. One of the good thing about living in the Northeast part of the US is there aren't any poisonous snakes. Plus I'm not a big fan of the non-poisonous one either.

 

[DarkShadow]

I just recently did some reading up on the most poisonous snakes in Africa and one thats very scary is the Boomslang found in sub-Saharan Africa.The poison is slow to act but once it gets to work a person can bleed to death from every orifice.

Nice shots Raj,Your very brave man.A 1200mm super zoomy would be my comfort zone.

 

[Raj_55555]

Very nice and informative. I would need a 600mm minimum..

Thanks Brian!

Very nice and informative. I would need a 600mm minimum..

Fixed that for you!

This was really funny!

Nice set. One of the good thing about living in the Northeast part of the US is there aren't any poisonous snakes. Plus I'm not a big fan of the non-poisonous one either.

How's that good? Less photography opportunities!

I just recently did some reading up on the most poisonous snakes in Africa and one thats very scary is the Boomslang found in sub-Saharan Africa.The poison is slow to act but once it gets to work a person can bleed to death from every orifice.

Nice shots Raj,Your very brave man.A 1200mm super zoomy would be my comfort zone.

Thanks man! That sounds like a painful death..would be an interesting subject to photograph!

 

[MSnowy]

Very nice and informative. I would need a 600mm minimum..

Thanks Brian!

Very nice and informative. I would need a 600mm minimum..

Fixed that for you!

This was really funny!

Nice set. One of the good thing about living in the Northeast part of the US is there aren't any poisonous snakes. Plus I'm not a big fan of the non-poisonous one either.

How's that good? Less photography opportunities!

I just recently did some reading up on the most poisonous snakes in Africa and one thats very scary is the Boomslang found in sub-Saharan Africa.The poison is slow to act but once it gets to work a person can bleed to death from every orifice.

Nice shots Raj,Your very brave man.A 1200mm super zoomy would be my comfort zone.

Thanks man! That sounds like a painful death..would be an interesting subject to photograph!

I'll trade taking pictures of a nice peaceful snowy owl over a snake any day

 

[Derrel]

Damn, man! I KNOW how big a water spigot is...so...that gives me a good idea of what a whopper that snake is!

 

[FITBMX]

#3 Is a really wonderful photo, but the whole set is great!

He doesn't look very aggressive, do they leave you alone if you don't bother them?
Here in Kansas (USA) for poisonous snakes we have Copper Heads, a few types of Rattlesnakes, and Cotton Mouths once in a very great while. It's the Rattlesnakes you have to be careful of, you normally never even see them, but if you make one mad you better stay back. They can strike nearly the whole length of their body!
Prairie Rattlers can be as small as 12 inches, and one of the more poisonous.

 

[FITBMX]

Damn, man! I KNOW how big a water spigot is...so...that gives me a good idea of what a whopper that snake is!

The head of that thing looks as big as my hand!

 

[JacaRanda]

Very nice set indeed Raj.

Nice set. One of the good thing about living in the Northeast part of the US is there aren't any poisonous snakes. Plus I'm not a big fan of the non-poisonous one either.

Lucky you. My daughter bought me camo snake chaps for Father's Day.

 

[limr]

Great shots, Raj! I think snakes are so cool, though some varieties I definitely prefer to see only in pictures

Nice set. One of the good thing about living in the Northeast part of the US is there aren't any poisonous snakes. Plus I'm not a big fan of the non-poisonous one either.

Uh...Northern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnakes.

 

[MSnowy]

Great shots, Raj! I think snakes are so cool, though some varieties I definitely prefer to see only in pictures

Nice set. One of the good thing about living in the Northeast part of the US is there aren't any poisonous snakes. Plus I'm not a big fan of the non-poisonous one either.

Uh...Northern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnakes.

I've lived he 55 years never seen one. Out of the 1000's of people I know ranging from 101 to 2 who live here they've never seen one. I'm sure there's one around somewhere but so far I've been unlucky enough with sightings and the lottery.

 

[limr]

Great shots, Raj! I think snakes are so cool, though some varieties I definitely prefer to see only in pictures

Nice set. One of the good thing about living in the Northeast part of the US is there aren't any poisonous snakes. Plus I'm not a big fan of the non-poisonous one either.

Uh...Northern Copperhead, Timber Rattlesnakes.

I've lived he 55 years never seen one. Out of the 1000's of people I know ranging from 101 to 2 who live here they've never seen one. I'm sure there's one around somewhere but so far I've been unlucky enough with sightings and the lottery.

Didn't say they were common, but we do have them up here. I think the rattlers are more prevalent in Western Mass, closer to the mountains - I believe they like more rocky areas - so if you're closer to the coast, you're less likely to encounter one.

I did see one once, near New Paltz just over on the west side of the Hudson. Never saw a Copperhead, though. I've seen more garden snakes than I can count Cute little buggers.

 

[Raj_55555]

Damn, man! I KNOW how big a water spigot is...so...that gives me a good idea of what a whopper that snake is!

Yeah, my guess is he was at least 12 feet long, if not longer..

Damn, man! I KNOW how big a water spigot is...so...that gives me a good idea of what a whopper that snake is!

The head of that thing looks as big as my hand!

Trust me, it was much bigger than your hand!

Very nice set indeed Raj.

Thanks Jaca!

Great shots, Raj! I think snakes are so cool, though some varieties I definitely prefer to see only in pictures

Finally someone who thinks snakes are cool, the only species I'd prefer to see in pictures would be the gaboon viper, although they are very docile, that thing looks like the reincarnation of the devil himself!