I personally like the lighting in this shot. It sort of looks dark and sinister to my eyes. I'll also fess up - the lighting was a bit harsh, so there were hotspots on the abdomen and tail, which I've cleaned up with the clone tool in Photoshop.
I agree on your lighting. It works for this shot well. Very interesting indeed, the veins on the leaf were the first things to catch my eye. Beautiful.
