A Few of My Favorite Snakes: The Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake, Nerodia clarkii compressicauda

Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, the Mangrove salt marsh snake, photographed in Monroe county, Florida (09 July 2011).

Continuing our glorious snake run, let’s turn back to the Floridian peninsula and check out this old favorite: a Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, the Mangrove salt marsh snake. A bit smaller than the inland watersnakes, the non-venomous Mangrove salt marsh snake scratches out its living just where the name implies — within and throughout coastal mangrove salt marshes.

I photographed this individual at No Name Key in the Florida Keys. As you can see from the blue-tinted eye, the snake was near ecdysis — the molting of its scales. If you look really closely, you can see me in the reflection of the eye, one arm outstretched with the snake, the other holding my camera. In the last decade, there have probably been more photographs of me reflected through snake eyes than straight-on shots. Heh.

~ janson