A second look told me that it was a snake!

On average, I come across one or two snakes a year at Saddle Rock, Long Island, but this one had particularly vivid colors. And as I had my Pentax LX and 90mm macro lens on hand, let me present Ms. Golden Eyes:
 

When I was first walking by, the garter snake stayed absolutely frozen, but once she was aware that I was aware that she was a snake, she darted a few feet forward. I took one photo (the vertical one on the left) and then moved in for a closer shot. I had time for a third photo as well before she decided that enough was enough.

Golden Eyes literally raced through the grass and disappeared beneath some bushes. (It never fails to amaze me how fast a legless animal can move!)

Perhaps she was about two feet (60 cm) long, and I wish her good luck with future generations of pretty snakes.