Walking in the woods is pure pleasure: fresh air, often delicious undergrowth, and contact with nature. Well, I'll write about that contact, because sometimes it can be dangerous, but not always.
My recent trip to the forest yielded a wealth of delicious harvests, including blueberries, lingonberries, raspberries, blackberries, and many species of mushrooms. It was also full of interesting and exciting experiences.
One such forest surprise, while picking mushrooms, was encountering a grass snake. It had made a small nest in a sunny spot and was basking in the sun. I leaned down to pick up the mushroom and was speechless. We stared into each other's eyes, its tongue sticking out, its primary receptor. I decided to retreat to a safe distance so as not to scare it away and take a few photos.
The grass snake is a completely safe species, toothless and venomless. Its only defense response is to flee or emit a very unpleasant odor. This individual was still young, as indicated by its skin color, especially the upper part. The characteristic coloration of its head always indicates that it is a grass snake. It is black and yellow and has a terrifying appearance. Therefore, it's worth having some knowledge of the area and the surrounding wildlife, because this time, it was only a mild fright.
