J.Pretkutė, who only photographs snakes in the woods: “For me, this is a kind of meditation” | Lifetime



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They live near a high swamp, so snakes are everyday

Jolita has been admired in forestry since eighth grade: “Nature has always been there, she wanted to learn more, learn and work in the future, work as closely as possible with nature.” J.Pretkutė says that she was not lacking in curiosity as a child, did not avoid seeing snakes huddled in the corners of swamps and forests around the house.

Jolita’s parents also contributed to the love of nature and snakes: “Apparently, that blood, we were in the whole family often in nature, because it is so good and calm there. Our family lives near a high swamp, and snakes are more likely to be found there, especially the only poisonous snake in Lithuania: the snake. ” Therefore, the closeness and love for nature pushed her to deepen her knowledge in the field of forestry.

Photo by Jolita Prektkutė / Jolita Pretkutė

Photo by Jolita Prektkutė / Jolita Pretkutė

Although only three species of snakes are most commonly found in Lithuania (yellow cheeked snakes, common snakes, and equinox snakes), Jolita admires them no less: “I became interested in snakes when I was about six years old when I first saw a python in a circus. To me these are not ordinary animals, they are extremely characteristic and creatures of unique behavior. “

Jolita says she likes to see snakes carefully study the person in front of them, even though she has to wait patiently for the animal. “will pose. Jolith is also surprised by the process of movement of the snake scales as they crawl on a certain surface, on which, as peculiarly, they cling to the scales of the abdomen and push forward.

Advise to keep a safe distance.

Once, when photographing a female viper from behind, an interested mushroom on my back spoke, seemingly looking ridiculous from one side: when I reached down and put on a photographic lens, I was photographing something furious. I nodded because at that moment I thought that maybe the sun had overheated my head and the snake was already talking to me, that it was just a curious mushroom ”, Jolita shared a funny incident while photographing a snake in the forest.

Although Jolita snakes are not intimidating at all, they advise forest guests to keep a safe distance from these creatures, not to hit them, not to trample on them, not to hurt them. Although curious, it is not difficult to hold snakes in their hands: it is not difficult to distinguish a snake that is not dangerous to humans from a snake, but the eyes of fear are large and it can be more difficult to do so.

If a snake bites, it should seek professional help and go to the hospital, although for some it can only cause an allergic reaction and for others it can be fatal. Oddly enough, digging for snakes doesn’t always release poisons.

In their opinion, people generally fear snakes because they generally fear what they don’t know, they often get upset and have an inherited fear, if parents, fears, and children are afraid.

According to Jolita, therefore, the fear of snakes comes from the lack of information and knowledge in society: a snake will not harm a person if it is not in danger. “We are all children of the same nature,” he said.

The photographer thinks that people generally fear snakes because it is common to be afraid of things they don’t know.

Quirky writing – like a human seal

Serious human activities are already causing difficulties for snakes: “The most serious problem in Lithuania is with the snake, according to the sites, those places are already protected and there are not many,” says Jolita. Although snakes and yellow-cheeked snakes are quite abundant (especially when wild boars have fallen, making these animals a real treat), humans pose the greatest danger. Littering in the woods contaminates not only snakes but also other animals.

Jolita in particular has a lot to say about the dangerous snakes she calls the amazing snakes that hatch, they don’t hatch from eggs like snakes. Additionally, each snake has a unique pattern on its head that can be compared to human fingerprints, which distinguishes the snake from other snakes.

Photo by Jolita Prektkutė / Angis

Photo by Jolita Prektkutė / Angis

And the greatest joy awaited her when she managed to find a snake’s armpit and discover the snake’s mating area, a breeding ground.

Jolita assures that she is proud not only of her photography work, but also of her work: “I am glad to be a forester, I work to cultivate a forest in Lithuania, I deepen my knowledge and work surrounded by wonderful colleagues, kind and happy people. Forestry is not just a profession. I think many will admit that this is also a way of life. “

After becoming professionally interested in snakes, Jolita also interacts with foreign herpetologists and reads specialized literature.



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