https://twitter.com/SssnakeySci/status/856149745827491840
Herpetologist and Ph.D student Helen Plyar, a.k.a. @SssnakeySci was probably not expecting the reaction she got when she posted this image sent to her by her colleague Whitney Walkowski earlier this week, who asked whether or not she could “spot the snake” on what appears to be a forest floor covered in dead leaves with green, spring foliage growing in. But the post quickly began to get liked and retweeted as people struggled to find the snake hidden within the image.
It almost kind of makes you think back to hidden image exercises from the pages of Highlights magazine or what have you from our childhoods, doesn’t it? Except in this case, it proved to be a much more difficult task than most likely imagined.
https://twitter.com/emmarhinosfan/status/856865152611868674
I give up, where is it? Circle in red. With arrows.
(I lost 15min of my life here..)— Jude 🗳⚖️ (@Jxnewton) April 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/geeoharee/status/856267164944347136
https://twitter.com/shafiqsudin/status/856734866372677632
Eventually Plyar, who writes in her Twitter bio that she studies pythons, boas, pitvipers, had sympathy and finally provided the answer, outlining a striped brown highly venomous Copperhead snake in the middle of the photo.
https://twitter.com/SssnakeySci/status/856503844343341056
After admitting that she has even nearly stepped on the snakes while specifically looking for them, Plyar offered up some advice should anyone get bitten by one.
https://twitter.com/SssnakeySci/status/856923476678119427
Finally, Plyar notes to everyone enjoying her puzzle, “Please remember: Snakes deserve to live just as we do. Treat them with care & respect, not hate & fear.” Hmm, noted, but we’re kind of with Gene Belcher on this one.