AG Reader Photo of the Week: Inquisitive Tongue

By AG Staff 3 December 2018
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This week’s reader photo of of a South-west carpet python was captured by Adam Brice.

“This image had been a long time coming, that’s for sure!,” says Adam. “Nearly 2 years of waiting and searching finally paid off with images of a wild South-west carpet python (Morelia spilota)!”

“Carpet pythons in Western Australia are certainly not as prevalent as their East coast counterparts that are seemingly found in almost every backyard! Over here, while common, appear to be more elusive. While plenty of people have had them in their yards around the place (taking chooks, rabbits etc) they still manage to slink away and find really good hiding places! So finding one out by itself in the bush is something almost miraculous!”

“Photographing any wild animal has it’s inherit risks and while pythons are not venomous they can deliver a pretty nasty bite! However, this particular python was more inquisitive than anything else and this was what I was trying to convey in the image – it’s inquisitive nature. It’s hyper-extended “neck” and the tongue (which it uses to smell) and it reaches out toward me, getting all this in frame comes down to timing and I managed two lucky tongue shots like this before his position changed. Now as photographers know, the LCD can lie but seeing that image on the back of the camera had my face split in two with the biggest grin having zoomed in and seeing that head nice and sharp! It was so good to finally realise another goal in the journey that has been (well a marathon really) in wild reptile photography!”