I have just finished reptile surveying this year for my local wildlife reserve and found loads of slow worms and quite a lot of common lizards and grass snakes, but no adders this year..........Has anybody else noticed less this year.
Adders
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England, yes, Spain , no. Infact had a big 'un run over my boot. Very dark brown he was but a deffo adder. Over there they are much bigger and a heck of a lot faster! It's amazing how varied their colourings are depending on environment.
Forgot to mention that my dad was attacked by one in his gun room earlier in the year, in Spain. It managed to CLIMB the wall and attempted to leap at him!! Luckily for him it misjudged it's flying ability and fell into the cisterna. Unluckily for the snake, my dad grabbed a gun and 'sorted' it out. Big blighter it was, too. They seem more agressive over there too. Must be the heat....
Forgot to mention that my dad was attacked by one in his gun room earlier in the year, in Spain. It managed to CLIMB the wall and attempted to leap at him!! Luckily for him it misjudged it's flying ability and fell into the cisterna. Unluckily for the snake, my dad grabbed a gun and 'sorted' it out. Big blighter it was, too. They seem more agressive over there too. Must be the heat....
I moved a slow worm of the local bridal way on saturday (didnt want to see him squashed) . There are signs stating that you should beware of adders , but i have not seen one yet . Mind you i have only been looking to keep the dog away from them . A mastif was bitten by one last year and nearly died , it was only the owners quick responce that saved it apparently .
A freind of mine who is a herptoligist removed a heavily pregnant adder from a rugby pitch this year to put her some where safer.
Pumbaa
A freind of mine who is a herptoligist removed a heavily pregnant adder from a rugby pitch this year to put her some where safer.
Pumbaa
I've noticed my local population of adders has been in serious decline for the last ten years. It used to be I could easily find 20 in around an hour, this year I've been hard pushed to find even one.
andyn
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Saw one in Dartmoor this year around the end of August but it was the only time i've ever seen one.
Ive heard other people mentioning that the are becoming fewer in numbers recently too, I think the adder is now extinct in quite a few counties across the UK.
Ive heard other people mentioning that the are becoming fewer in numbers recently too, I think the adder is now extinct in quite a few counties across the UK.
We used to see loads in the New Forest on hot days, particularily when cycling fast, as they don't hear/feel you quick enough. I've had to bunnyhop over them before! But haven't seen one for ages in this country. They are the only venomous snake in Spain too. The one my dad helped see the error of it's ways was about1.5m according to him. The one that crossed my boot without permission was about 1m and 1.5inch diameter I'd say. Chocco brown with black diamonds on the back. We saw one last year that moved like a rocket as we explored a castle on a hill and scared it. It must have been 4-5 ft long and possibly 2" diameter in the middle. Markings were lighter brown ( a sandy area predominantly) with choc brown diamonds on the back. We decided that discretion was the best policy and allowed it's escape, or in other words, screamed like girls and legged it the other way! T'was a big bugger....
I'm amazed that they grow that big, maybe its the heat out there and they eat well, over here I have only seen them to about 12-14 inches. I do voluntary work in a local forest to create more heathland and we get a few there, though sadly not many sightings this year and as I have already said no sightings at all at the local wildlife reserve where we have been surveying............
Yes, I'm certain they are adders, and adders are common in Spain. The ones i have seen truly are big! I wouldn't be suprised if they eat the lizards. Geckos are everywhere and again, I'm amazed at the way they can change colour to better match their background.
Has there ben bad weather when they would normally have bred or the eggs developed and thus less have survived to hatching?
Has there ben bad weather when they would normally have bred or the eggs developed and thus less have survived to hatching?
We have had pretty good weather this year with the last winter being faily mild and not too wet and the spring and summer have been average with little rain though, have got a hosepipe ban still in force
Spacemonkey said:
Moonraker,
There are 3 species of adder living on the iberian peninsula and there is another snake, the lizard snake (Malpolon monsspeculans), that's poisonous too. Although the last one normally is no serious threat to humans because it's venomous teeth are positioned at the back of it's mouth rather than the poisonous fangs (at the front) of adders. I've got a link for you wich gives a list of all reptiles found in Spain (in scientific names), hope it works..;
http://www.mma.es/conserv_nat/inventarios/inv_biodiversidad/html/anfibios_reptiles/rojo_reptiles.htm
If you click on a species it gives you a PDF-file with a (bit blurred) image, a short assay about the distribution (in spanish) and a distribution map.
So go and figure out yourself what adder species live in your neighbourhood (I forgot whereabouts you live in Spain, I vaguely remember something about catalunya but I'm not sure)!
PS somewhere on the site there's a similar list with all amfibians!
PS PS Did you ever have a snakebite fatality on your embalming table?
The woodland where i work used to have a fairly healthy population of Adders. However this year i havent seen any. there has been no change in the level of activity in the woods. I guess that the population of Adders is decreasing.
The only time i have nearly been bitten was hiking above Chamonix. A smallish Adder leap from the heather and tried to strike but missed. Probably thought i was going to step on it. Eventually it slid off the path quite happily doing snake like things. We saw quite a few large adders on that trip. It was hot. i wasn't expecting to see one at that altitude.
The only time i have nearly been bitten was hiking above Chamonix. A smallish Adder leap from the heather and tried to strike but missed. Probably thought i was going to step on it. Eventually it slid off the path quite happily doing snake like things. We saw quite a few large adders on that trip. It was hot. i wasn't expecting to see one at that altitude.
Galemys said:PS PS Did you ever have a snakebite fatality on your embalming table?
Great link, not sure which ones I have spotted as they seem diffeent colours-darker choccy brown.
No have never had a snakebite victim, but have spen the afternoon today fixing up a woman who went under a train. Very messy, but I managed to do a good rebuild with wax and cosmo. Praise the lord for plastic bags...
Following this thread about adders with interest, Iroquois is a Algonkian word for my people means "real adders". Moving along is it possible that the decline of the adder population in Britain is due to the increase in the feral pig population as some one mentioned? Here one way to keep Missassaga rattlers at bay is to put pig grease along your mocassins (boots) as pigs eat rattle snakes when they can.
I have never seen an adder in the wild, although I saw one on a road by Hamsterley forest that had become roadkill. Also, in some moorland near me a little girl was bitten and her father caused a huge ruckus saying there should be warnings placed around about the adders. I found such a suggestion rather humourous to be honest, I mean what is it supposed to read... "WARNING! Your ignorance is not the only thing in these moors"
Only one thing I forgot to mention that pig grease or bacon fat also attracts bears so you got your choice 
:yo:
:yo:A good way to see if you have snakes or any reptiles for that matter is to put a piece of roofing felt out in early spring, preferably in an area of heathland where no one goes and during the year go and check underneath, lifting the felt slowly and carefully. We had 8 sheets at different parts of the nature reserve and under some nothing was found, but others we found slow worm, common lizard and grass snake all living together..........ahhhhhh. The sheets were checked twice a month, any more and you could disturb them too much. Me and the boy had great fun checking and recording them. You can use corrugated sheeting as well.
