An eagle-eyed photographer has shared a picture of a highly venomous snake he found hidden among the Florida undergrowth.
The question is, can you see where the snake is hiding?
Tommy Hamrick, an 18-year-old biology student at the University of Florida took to the Facebook group Rare Encounters Photography to share a snap of the elusive reptile with his fellow animal lovers.
Yet, despite sporting some vibrant stripes, the snake in the picture is so well hidden, many may struggle to even see where it is.
Tommy Hamrick
Hamrick told Newsweek: “I was biking along some back roads with my father when I noticed the bright yellow and red bands poking out from beneath some pine straw.”
He quickly realized he was looking at an Eastern Coral snake, a type of snake he had never seen before, but one that it is worth being wary of.
Known for their distinctive red, black and yellow (or white) colored rings, the Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius) is most commonly found in Florida and the southeastern U.S.
While snakes of this kind only represent around two percent of all snake bites reported to US Poison Centers annually, bites by the Eastern Coral Snake tend to be the most severe.
“Compared to other venomous snakes, their bite marks can be easily missed, often showing no significant local tissue damage, obvious injury, or pain,” the National Capital Poison Center warns.
“However, the venom of the Eastern Coral Snake contains very potent neurotoxins that can cause severe illness or death if left untreated.”
That kind of information might have left some feeling a little unsettled, but not Hamrick. “It made me very happy to finally see one in the wild,” he said. “These snakes are my favorite, for a variety of reasons, such as their bright colors and overall uniqueness.”
“Me and my dad safely photographed the snake and let it go on its way somewhere down the side of that burnt pine stump close to the middle of the frame.”
An avid reptile fan with a reputation online for correctly identifying types of snake, Hamrick said: “I spend a lot of time going around various parts of Florida in search for these snakes and love to photograph them in their natural habitat.”
He plans on parlaying his interest and expertise into a job “around nature and hopefully snakes” once he’s graduated. For now though, he’s just happy seeking out discoveries of this kind. He’s certainly got an eye for it.
Here’s a close up version of the image for anyone who struggled to spot the snake.
Tommy Hamrick
