Archive
ADDER UP
27/08/2021
The sighting on an adder not far from our office recently gives me hope that adders are not doing as badly as I feared. They used to be common around our house in the Wyre Forest when I was a boy, and indeed are still to be found in that area, but I remember when they were common enough for me to be able always to find one basking on a particular low stone wall in spring and we had to be careful when out walking with a dog as canine curiosity led to their being bitten on more than one occasion. Interestingly, though it obviously caused the dog pain and fur was lost with inflammation, they recovered after a few days. Some veterinary practices stock antivenom, especially in areas where adder numbers are high.
Adders are Britain’s most widespread snake, still quite common in some areas but less so in the Midlands, and they have generally lost ground to intensive agriculture and development, as have so many of our wild animals. They are unusual in that their colouration differs between the sexes: males are usually contrasting black and silvery white, while females have dark brown markings against a light brown/sandy background as in the photo of the pair above, but there is considerable variation.
Sadly, there is such hatred of snakes by many people, that they are persecuted and often killed on sight – and not just snakes, but anything that looks like one such as slow-worms. Knowledge is increasing, but perhaps if we improved education that would help. Here are a few useful facts:
- Adders are shy and not aggressive, much preferring to slither away than attack, being sensitive to vibration and footfall. Do not try to touch them or pick them up. If you do have the misfortune to tread on one and be bitten, it is very unlikely to result in more than localised pain and inflammation, but of course you should seek medical advice straight away. You might also consider learning first aid if you frequent adder habitat as there are measures to be taken quickly to lessen the consequences of a bite.
- Grass snakes (left) are longer and thinner, have a yellow collar and no zig-zag markings, just vertical dark bars along their Slow-worms are smaller and light brown with somewhat darker longitudinal stripes. Neither are venomous but grass snakes might emit a nasty smell or play dead. Slow-worms are lizards and can shed their tails if you handle them roughly, so please leave all reptiles alone.
- Adders are stocky snakes that grow to about 80cm long, live for up to about fifteen years and the females bear live young, having incubated their eggs internally. You are most likely to find them in heathland or woodland. They hibernate from October to March and the commonest months for sightings are May and July, though they are often seen basking on a log or rock on sunny days in March to warm themselves up as they are poikilothermic (e. not warm-blooded). They hunt by day and their food, which their venom immobilises, consists of small mammals, other herpetofauna and ground-nesting birds/nestlings.
- Adders are legally protected against killing and injury under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and they have Priority Species status under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. They have few enemies other than humans but young adders may be preyed upon by avian raptors, magpies, crows or pheasants.
Betts Ecology take great care to protect and provide habitat for all reptiles. You are unlikely to see adders on most of our sites as they shun urban areas, but there is a chance of finding one on our larger greenspaces. Do please tell us if you do. Leave them alone and take a photograph from a distance if you can, and be aware that children and dogs should be kept away.
