Bushmaster

Greetings everyone!

Firstly, I need to apologize for my absence over the last few months, not that many members likely remember me anyway. I'm hoping to change that though.

For a bit of a background, I am a herpetologist (studies reptiles and amphibians) who spends most of my time working in Guyana, South America. Some of the time I am conducting my own personal PhD work, but I also lead the reptile and amphibian surveys for the joint research team established by World Wildlife Fund-Guianas and Global Wildlife Conservation called the Biodiversity Assessment Team.

Anyway, more on the picture. This summer I spent a few weeks surveying in the little studied Kanuku Mountains of south-central Guyana. The morning and evening hours are generally the most productive in terms of activity, and then I spend the daytime hours photographing them and doing whatever necessary science is required. 

I have been incredibly fortunate during my last few trips to have encountered the bushmaster (Lachesis muta). Generally they are quite uncommon, greatly feared by locals throughout their range and killed on the spot. On the way back to camp from our second to last night hike, I found this male bushmaster coiled near the buttress roots of a large rainforest tree. Being that it was quite late and I was very tired, I opted to carefully catch it and work with it the following day when I was better rested. It also made for better photo opportunities.

Hope you like it!
Andrew

Technicals:
Nikon D300s | Sigma 15mm | 2 off camera flashes | f/16 | 1/3 sec | ISO400