Vipera berus

It’s been a while that I posted anything. That has been due to the fact that I accepted a new job in Aachen and I had to move and adapt do all the completely new conditions. I am still adapting actually. But one cool thing has happened: I met a cool guy that wanted to catch a certain snake species on camera: the Vipera berus, or „Kreuzotter“ as it is called in German. It is pretty much the only venomous snake species in the country and only rarely seen. However, roumor had it that it was seen in the moorscapes of the near Venn region in the borderlands of Belgium and Western Germany.

So, having identified our mutual interest in snakes and photography we ventured into the moor. Four consequent weekends we had to start our expeditions till we got lucky and almost stepped onto this beautiful baby adder. I am afraid my auto focus fucked me up a little, but it still is a wonderful specimen.

While my friend crawled on the floor with his huge tele lens, I got myself comfortable with my convenient semi macro lense and followed the little snake on its path. It was probably not longer than 30 cm, but beautifully coloured and didn’t mind us being around.

Vineyard Safari

Late summer around August and September is the best time to go insect hunting in the vineyards. Here in the Palatinate many winemakers switched to mainly organic cultuvation methods during the last two decades, resulting in food and hiding places for various insects and all the species feeding on them. Also the vineyards are traversed by stone walls that store the heat from the sun and enable warm climate species to establish themselves.

A couple of years ago (in 2017), I saw it for the first time: The European mantis (Mantis religiosa). The only Mantodea species found in Central Europe. I had never seen one when I was a kid, and I was out and about the vineyards all the time. So I guess it conquered new territory due to climate change. Now you can reliably spot them anywhere where meadows and bushes provide enough food for these predators.

I am totally in love with these animals. Their weird body structure, their slow rhythm of movement and their strange faces, that seem to observe every move you make. They are so unlike humans, they could be from a different planet somewhere in the galaxy. Have you ever seen one in the wild?