Speckled king and buckeye

The red buckeye is an inconspicuous small tree native to most of southeastern United States. It is most often found in brushy fence rows, ditches and old fields growing beneath the understory of taller trees.

Going virtually unnoticed for most of the year, the red buckeye, with its distinctive scarlet clusters of blooms, is easy to see during springtime. The tubular red flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds.

The snake in this photo is a speckled king snake. The speckled king snake is one of Southeast Missouri's most gentle snakes. This one has likely gone into the branches of the red buckeye hoping to catch an insect or bird. It held quietly onto the limb allowing me to approach to within a few inches for this photo.

Speckled king snakes are constrictor snakes and will catch and eat many small animals, including other snakes.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semisourian.com to order a reprint of the photo. Find more work by him at the Painted Wren Gallery.