I posted a black racer I met in the woods a few weeks ago. I met this fella today on my pool deck. He had come in where there is a bit of missing weather stripping on the screen door and couldn't find his way back out. My son and I opened the door for him, left it wide open, and gently encouraged him to go through it.

He wasn't having any of that, though, and was as aggressive as I've ever seen an animal, rising up, flattening his neck a bit, vibrating his tail and striking out repeatedly at anything that got near him.

I took these photos with a 300mm lens. At one point, I had a 1.4c TC, but took it off for some of the shots.

Wow such a pretty specimen. Are they venomous?

Good job keeping your head AND getting the camera lol.

I love how most of the body in the first image is OOF, while the snakes head and the tip of its tail is in focus! That has to be one of the coolest snake images I've ever seen!!!

Wow such a pretty specimen. Are they venomous?

Good job keeping your head AND getting the camera lol.

No, they are not venomous. They are about four to five feet long and known for biting. I actually had the camera in my hand already when I saw him -- I was shooting some birds.

"My what big eyes you have!"

I like how the body zig zags and changes direction 4 distinct times below the head. Nice clarity on the head/eyes. Cooling looking snake!

great shots! It is good to see snakes above ground again! The head shape gives this away as a teenaged snake, it probably just lost his juvenile coloration.

racers are notoriously bitey, but their bites are weak and their teeth are small. I've always prefered to refer to it as defensive rather than aggressive, since they have no interest in bothering me until I am deadset on bothering them.