A small movement beside the auto tour road made me stop. Through my viewfinder, I saw three water snakes gathered on a log. Their behavior left me with more questions than answers.
Water Snake Behavior on a Refuge Log
I photographed the snakes at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. The encounter happened at 8:48 a.m. on June 1, 2023.
At first, I thought there were only two snakes. A closer look through the camera revealed a third.
The largest snake rested almost motionless on the log. Two smaller snakes moved and twisted around it.
Their size difference was easy to see. However, the scene did not provide enough detail for a firm species identification.
I first wondered whether I was watching courtship. I also considered whether the smaller snakes might be young. A brief observation and one photograph could not confirm either possibility.
That uncertainty became the most interesting part of the encounter. I could record what the snakes did, but I could not attach a certain explanation to it.
Photographing Three Snakes from the Auto Tour Road
I photographed the group from the refuge’s auto tour road. The 500mm focal length gave me a tight view of the snakes and their shared log.
The smaller snakes kept moving as I watched them. The faster shutter speed helped record that activity while keeping the resting snake sharp.
Camera and Exposure Details
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
- Aperture: f/8
- Shutter speed: 1/800 second
- ISO: 640, Auto ISO
- Exposure compensation: +0.3
- Focal length: 500mm
- Date: June 1, 2023
- Time: 8:48 a.m.
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma
Wildlife photography sometimes reveals behavior that is easy to understand. Other encounters leave room for curiosity.
I never decided whether I saw courtship, young snakes, or another type of interaction. I only know that three snakes shared the same log for a brief and memorable moment.
The scene reminded me of another unusual encounter involving Two Watersnakes Fight Over the Same Catfish. Water snakes have given me several surprising moments at the refuge.
That is one reason I keep returning. I never know what I may find along the auto tour road.