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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 1:04 pm Post subject: Adders

Bugs and I went for a quick forage this morning to see if any Ceps or Chanterelles had appeared. Not a single 'shroom but I did notice what looked like a strange few leaves or something worse. It suddenly dawned on me it was a small adder!

We didn't make it as far as an area where we know they are, this was just a local wood/heathland.

The adder was curled up in the sun on some heater and had the distinctive zig-zag down it's back. It was at the edge of the path and in exactly the sort of place books often say you should look. Unfortunately it slithered off before we could take a pic but it was a wonderful site and about a foot long.

A few weeks back I noticed probably the largest grass snake I've ever seen and it's nice to see my first Adder. Anyone else seen many snakes this year?

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 5:09 pm Post subject:
Not yet but I made the delightful discovery that I have slow worms on my allotment compost heap

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 6:07 pm Post subject:
If you keep an eye out on a warm summers eve you sometimes spot them slithering around. It's good to know they are about as they eat slugs!

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 6:45 pm Post subject:
i've yet to see a snake in the UK yet in 6 years, perhaps i've been in the wrong places in the highlands... aren't the adders the poisonous ones?

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 6:58 pm Post subject:
Adders are poisenous. I don't think there has been a reported death since around 1906 (if my memory serves me correctly). If one was to get bitten it would either be ones own fault or due to accidental cornering/squashing etc. You should seek medical advice immediately just in case.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 7:04 pm Post subject:

Yep, adders are the UKs only native poisonous snake but they are far more scared of humans. The most likely thing to happen is treading on them while they are basking on a path but they will move away when they feel your footsteps. So the best way to see them is move very gently and take care when walking heathland so not to harm them. I'm not sure how common they are but I think snakes get rarer as you move north.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 7:12 pm Post subject:
certainly not many on the wirral- I see them yearly but it is still a special occasion ratherthan the norm.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 9:22 pm Post subject:
Adders are the reason why I wear my wellies while foraging - there are loads in the woods!!!

Mad Dad

Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 407
Location: Nowhere near where I want to be

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 9:40 pm Post subject:
I remember finding a dead one on a Plymouth Naval base about 25 years ago but I aint seen one since

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 10:26 pm Post subject:

when i lived in san antonio texas i saw a handful of rattle snakes over the 8 years i was there... bit scary!

my ex husbands dad teaches at the police academy there and the area where they have the pseudo city set up for training the coppers in is right on the edge of a huge field full of rattle snakes. they even have rattle snake crossing signs, i kid you not!

lalo (ex's father) had to shoot a few with his handgun as they'd started coming into the fake town and were being agressive, not to mention scaring the bejeebies out of the new recruits

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Sun Jun 05, 05 11:00 pm Post subject:

Lloyd

Joined: 24 Jan 2005
Posts: 2699

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 12:52 am Post subject:
In my last house in Hampshire, I had vipers that lived out the winter in my compost heap, and having bred there in the spring, I sometimes saw young ones slipping into the pond, in pursuit of my goldfish. On a related note, in the Autumn, I'm off to North Carolina for a wild turkey shoot. I've been advised to purchase on arrival some hi leg leather boots, to keep the rattlers off!!

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 10:43 am Post subject:

i take it you'll be up in the hills/mountains then?

my understanding is that rattle snakes prefer warm dry areas but i supose the rocky hills and the *lovely* heat and humidity of North Carolina would be a decent enough place to live...if you're a snake!

if you are going into the mountains then you'd better read up about bears and how to handle them. i'm not sure about the carolinas but there are plenty of bears in the states with the rocky mountains out west. haven't heard of it being a problem in the adirondaks but i've never had much interest in that area so it's worth checking out. you also may want to look up information on cougars/mountain lions/ puma (it'll be known under all those names) because i'm fairly certain they still have those in that region... we had one wander into a bunch of farm lands in the north of indiana and there aren't any hills for 100's of miles there

oh the joys of wildlife eh?

oh yeah...wonder if they still have wolves wandering about?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 10:45 am Post subject:
Haven't seen a snake this year, but I have seen more lizards than in previous years along the old St. Ives railway line.

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Mon Jun 06, 05 10:52 am Post subject:
oops pardon my ignorance, i mistakenly thought that entire range of mountains that run from new york down the east coast was the adirondack range... told you i wasn't that interested in that area appearantly you're more likely to be going into the smokey mountain range or the blue ridge mountains (both gorgeous, i've got photo's of my dad there!)...

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