The Beautiful Snakes of Costa Rica

I hate snakes with a passion.  While in Costa Rica though, some temporary attitude or degree of tolerance was bestowed upon myself and I saw the creatures through different eyes. 

I honestly think it had everything to do with the beauty that surrounded me and the awe I felt for the lush forest I walked through every morning, a natural high I guess.  Under any other circumstances the sight of a snake has me in hysterics, I cannot stand them.  My phobia had me flat on my back in a local forest preserve less than a week after I got home and a tiny garter snake came across my path. 

But back to Costa Rica.......

My very first day in the country my class took an aerial tram tour in the rainforest canopy.  Once back on the ground our guides pointed out a juvenile viper snake.  I do not recall the exact name of the snake, but I remember them calling it a dragon eyelash viper in Spanish and its head did indeed resemble a dragons.  Since this was the first day and the awe was just beginning to set in I wasn't super excited or anything.  I carefully circled around other members of the group and held my camera out to point and shoot. 

He was really no longer than a foot and his body was as thick as my thumb. Very well camouflaged as well.

Next there was the Banana Viper that was found curled up in a dead banana leaf.  Everyone walked past this guy on our hike and we almost kept going but a single student stopped and turned around catching the flash of yello up in the tree.  Makes you wonder what else you walked past without noticing. 

I really thought the color on this guy was amazing, even his eyes are yellow.  Here's a close up.

And finally, there is my favorite snake of the whole trip.  There is actually a pretty funny story and my lab partner told it over and over again to anyone who asked.  Lets just say that by the time we spotted the Coral Snake I was completely over any fear of snakes, spiders and bugs that I had.  So over my fears that I went chasing after more than I should of just to make sure I got a picture of all of it. 

As a general rule of thumb, and to quote my lab partner, "RED MEANS, STAY AWAY!!"