Opheodrys aestivus aestivus
Walking today on my favorite trail, I came across one of my favorite snakes, stock still in the middle of the asphalt trail. It was a rough green snake, one of my favorites in the Ozarks. I had decided not to bring my camera today; everytime I do that, a great photo op occurs and is lost. When I knelt down to take a closer look, he began undulating to try to get away, but he was moving so fast, he was virtually staying in one place, like a car laying rubber by spinning its wheels too fast. The poor snake just couldn't get any traction. So I gently nudged him with my hand and let him push off and soon he was in the safety of the brush.
You seldom see these common snakes because they are small and blend in so well with their surroundings. But on the black trail he was easy to spot.
He also stuck his tongue out and kept it out longer than I had seen a snake do.
(The photos are not mine but are linked from Flickr.)
