Adders during Winter?

[CLEM]

I know there are one or two rather knowledgable snake experts on this forum so my question is do Great Britain's native poisonous snake hibernate during the winter months? If so do they sometimes wake from there slumber and sunbath during the odd sunny winters day, hunt and so forth? Reason I ask is I quite fancy having a go at making some photographs of the Adder and wanted to know the best way of going about it! I've seen them on tv and in books but never seen one in real life so to speak!

 

[Uilleachan]

Adders do hibernate.

I've seen adders out sunning themselves mid March up here, so I'd reckon in the far south the end of February could be bask-able for a reptile.

 

[CLEM]

Adders do hibernate.

I've seen adders out sunning themselves mid March up here, so I'd reckon in the far south the end of February could be bask-able for a reptile.

I've never even seen one! Iam going to go look for them come spring time!

 

[Ecoman]

I live in the middle of Adder central on Arran. I have never seen one and I'm really looking forward to it..... but on my own terms!!

 

[Uilleachan]

I've never gone looking for adders but I've come across a few. There are a few hot spots about, the common theme early season, up here in the north west, seems to be sheltered southerly aspects with lots of rocks that afford nooks and crannies and a place to bask. Slabby rocks, drystane walls etc.

I've heard that said of Arran Ecoman, lots of adders. Another place is the northwestern tip of the applecross peninsula (all of applecross really but the northwestern tip particularly so), lots of slabby red sandstone providing good habitat.

The last one I saw was also the biggest, that was west glen morriston 7 or 8 years ago. At the east end of a certain large hydro loch lots of old pine drift wood accumulates after westerly gales and I was down there looking for a few choice pieces.

Mindful that this is a hot spot, there's a bit of the old road above the new thats used as a lay-by that often has adders basking on the old tarmac early morning in the summer, I was being cautious when I bent to investigate a rather unusual black piece of drift wood poking out from beneath the heather, just as well really

As I moved the heather with another piece of wood I'd gathered this "rather unusual black piece poking out from beneath the heather" slowly came to life and wriggled off in to cover. A thickset black beast some two foot long with a tan coloured scale or two on it's head, other than that it was completely black, a black adder.

I've never managed a photo, but I did manage a photo of a lizard this year, there are quite a few around but pesky when it comes to sitting still for a photo.



Sorry about the quality, took this when out fishing with my phone on full zoom. Quite a big guy @ around 4" or 5" long. The wee thin stalks of heather on the left of it provide some scale. Had I moved any closer he/she would have been off, as it was I backed up and waited for it to reappear. There were lots of them in that little glen.

Clicking on the photo enlarges the image and also improves the quality, ID anyone??

 

[CLEM]

I live in the middle of Adder central on Arran. I have never seen one and I'm really looking forward to it..... but on my own terms!!

I cannot say I blame you lol :-D I plan on looking at them through at least a one hundred and twenty mm lens when I do!

 

[CLEM]

I've never gone looking for adders but I've come across a few. There are a few hot spots about, the common theme early season, up here in the north west, seems to be sheltered southerly aspects with lots of rocks that afford nooks and crannies and a place to bask. Slabby rocks, drystane walls etc.

I've heard that said of Arran Ecoman, lots of adders. Another place is the northwestern tip of the applecross peninsula (all of applecross really but the northwestern tip particularly so), lots of slabby red sandstone providing good habitat.

The last one I saw was also the biggest, that was west glen morriston 7 or 8 years ago. At the east end of a certain large hydro loch lots of old pine drift wood accumulates after westerly gales and I was down there looking for a few choice pieces.

Mindful that this is a hot spot, there's a bit of the old road above the new thats used as a lay-by that often has adders basking on the old tarmac early morning in the summer, I was being cautious when I bent to investigate a rather unusual black piece of drift wood poking out from beneath the heather, just as well really

As I moved the heather with another piece of wood I'd gathered this "rather unusual black piece poking out from beneath the heather" slowly came to life and wriggled off in to cover. A thickset black beast some two foot long with a tan coloured scale or two on it's head, other than that it was completely black, a black adder.

I've never managed a photo, but I did manage a photo of a lizard this year, there are quite a few around but pesky when it comes to sitting still for a photo.

View attachment 23207

Sorry about the quality, took this when out fishing with my phone on full zoom. Quite a big guy @ around 4" or 5" long. The wee thin stalks of heather on the left of it provide some scale. Had I moved any closer he/she would have been off, as it was I backed up and waited for it to reappear. There were lots of them in that little glen.

Clicking on the photo enlarges the image and also improves the quality, ID anyone??

Wow good job you uncovered him with that stick, mind you he moved away as you did. Just shows what the experts say that they are not aggressive and try to stear clear of folks if they can!

 

[Uilleachan]

I think she was a she if the size was anything to go by, still you're right re the reaction, no coiling up for a strike just wriggling off in a bit to escape.

 

[Ecoman]

I was talking to a local chap forestry chap who told me about a muppet who visited the island last year. He was out walking with his family up Goat Fell when he saw 2 snakes. He picked them up to have a photo and got bitten by both of them!! Needless to say he spent 6 days in intensive care.

 

[rik_uk3]

I was talking to a local chap forestry chap who told me about a muppet who visited the island last year. He was out walking with his family up Goat Fell when he saw 2 snakes. He picked them up to have a photo and got bitten by both of them!! Needless to say he spent 6 days in intensive care.

What was his existing medical condition that caused a six day stay in an ITU unit?

 

[CLEM]

I was talking to a local chap forestry chap who told me about a muppet who visited the island last year. He was out walking with his family up Goat Fell when he saw 2 snakes. He picked them up to have a photo and got bitten by both of them!! Needless to say he spent 6 days in intensive care.

What a tool! Some folks just ain't got no common sence!

 

[Ecoman]

I has no idea so I Googled it and it seems the forester was talking about the guy in the article below.

Seems he went into anaphylactic shock.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/man-bitten-by-snake-picked-up-adder-for-holiday-snap-1-1131590


I did hear of another guy in Torbeg who found one in his kitchen. It was only a young one and it bit him when he tried to put it outside. He also spent 3 nights in the ITU. They think its because young snakes have a more concentrated venom. I'm not sure how true that is but all the same it can be pretty nasty for some.

 

[CLEM]

I think she was a she if the size was anything to go by, still you're right re the reaction, no coiling up for a strike just wriggling off in a bit to escape.

pretty docile things they say really!

 

[JonathanD]

Seems he went into anaphylactic shock.

More likely to be caused by antivenin serum than by adder bite. Their venom isn't anything like insect stings.

pretty docile things they say really!

Not those that know them. Reptiles are not docile unless very cold. And if they are very cold, you won't see them out and about.

 

[JonathanD]

What was his existing medical condition that caused a six day stay in an ITU unit?

Adders can do that quite easily. Drop for drop their venom is more potent than the Timber rattlesnake. I've spent ten days in hospital from a juvenile bite. Been bitten by a puff adder, boomslang, ringhals and green mamba to date, so far the juvenile adder has been the worst.

 

[JonathanD]

I know there are one or two rather knowledgable snake experts on this forum so my question is do Great Britain's native poisonous snake hibernate during the winter months? If so do they sometimes wake from there slumber and sunbath during the odd sunny winters day, hunt and so forth? Reason I ask is I quite fancy having a go at making some photographs of the Adder and wanted to know the best way of going about it! I've seen them on tv and in books but never seen one in real life so to speak!

Adders hibernate from the end of October to around mid to late February. The males wake up first and you can often find them basking in the melt points between snow or frost. It has to be a very sunny day though. The females follow about two to four weeks later. They don't feed until it gets warmer. And then they mate. You can find adders basking on Winter days when the sun is shining and the ambient temperature is quite high. But they won't hunt. They just bask. There has to be zero wind. Late February to April is the best time to see them. Before the undergrowth sprouts and hides them and they bask less as the temperature rises. Very early morning until around 11 is best. After that and they stop basking to hunt or hide.

 

[CLEM]

Adders can do that quite easily. Drop for drop their venom is more potent than the Timber rattlesnake. I've spent ten days in hospital from a juvenile bite. Been bitten by a puff adder, boomslang, ringhals and green mamba to date, so far the juvenile adder has been the worst.

Really the Adder was the worst??? I thought they were not really dangerous!

 

[JonathanD]

Their size and venom yield per bite are not as great, but the venom toxicity is right up there with the big guns of the vipers. They can still kill if they hit you in a major vein or if you are young or old or infirm. But the main reason they haven't killed anyone since 1976 in THIS country is the small fact we are not more than ten minutes from medical treatment wherever we are in the UK. A bite can have effects on your health for life even if you are healthy, and a good dose of venom from a large specimen giving you a full dose can keep you awake at night begging for pain relief or death. It bloody hurts. I've been bitten three times now by them, and that juvenile bite on my right hand had the same pain as being repeatedly being hit by a hammer on my hand and lower arm for 24 hours solid. It also felt like I'd been kicked in the nuts which kept up for about 36 hours. An interesting side effect. Any movement down there was agony for two days. Very tender

 

[rik_uk3]

"The NHS said about 100 cases of adder bites are reported in the UK every year.
Since records began in 1876 only 14 people have been reported to have died from adder bites - the last in 1975."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-13177046

Nasty but not that much to worry about.

 

[CLEM]

Their size and venom yield per bite are not as great, but the venom toxicity is right up there with the big guns of the vipers. They can still kill if they hit you in a major vein or if you are young or old or infirm. But the main reason they haven't killed anyone since 1976 in THIS country is the small fact we are not more than ten minutes from medical treatment wherever we are in the UK. A bite can have effects on your health for life even if you are healthy, and a good dose of venom from a large specimen giving you a full dose can keep you awake at night begging for pain relief or death. It bloody hurts. I've been bitten three times now by them, and that juvenile bite on my right hand had the same pain as being repeatedly being hit by a hammer on my hand and lower arm for 24 hours solid. It also felt like I'd been kicked in the nuts which kept up for about 36 hours. An interesting side effect. Any movement down there was agony for two days. Very tender

Iam glad your doing your job and not me that's for sure!