Topic: My first encounter with an Adder

[Crystalmoon]

While I was working on my allotment site yesterday I came across an Adder caught in a neighbouring plots netting. It was really struggling so I felt I had to free it. I have never had to deal with one before & have never seen one in the wild before but luckily knew by its markings that it was poisonous. I put on waterproofs wellies & gloves & carefully cut the netting away from the snake so it was able to get away. It did lunge for me a couple of times. Just wondering if thin waterproofs would actually protect me if it had made contact? I really don't want to get a bite from one of these snakes & as the one I rescued was a female I expect there will be many small ones later this Summer. Jane   

[Paulines7]

You are very brave, Jane.  I am pleased that you were able to free it.

[Malcolm Brown]

Adders can make life interesting.  A school friend had a farm near Masham which had a folly on it known as the Druid's Temple - now a tourist attraction I think.  Many years ago we went to visit him and went up to the folly to have a picnic.  We put a car rug down and had a very nice time but when we picked up the rug there was an underneath it enjoying the warmth,  oo-err.

[Digeroo]

We often have grass snakes, and they unfortunately get caught in netting especially with strawberries.

They seem to like to nest in compost bins.   One year I had five writhing round in the compost bin.  I am always surprised just how big the females are. 

I have not had to deal with an adder.  Not sure I would want to handle one.
My mother once found she was standing on an adder.  We were very worried that when she got off it would bit her, but luckily it simply slithered down a drain.  She has managed to get it in her in step so have not actually squashed it.

[Crystalmoon]

Yesterday at my allotment site there were quite a few men wearing shorts so I felt I should warn them about the Adder. Having looked on line the only item in my 'protective' clothing that would have helped me was the wellies, apparently their fangs are very sharp & would have easily pierced my thin waterproofs! EEEKK
   
The plot it rushed away towards after I set it free has a very unruly area at the back of it that backs onto the river so I expect she lives there....will have to be very aware this Summer!

[PondDragon]

Are you certain this was an adder rather than a grass snake? What were the markings like? Adders do tend to be a lot fussier about habitat than grass snakes, and don't turn up that often in gardens & allotments unless there's good habitat nearby (e.g. heathland, common land with bracken/gorse). This though does sound perfect for grass snakes -

a very unruly area at the back of it that backs onto the river

- and they breed in the compost heaps.

If it is a female adder, they tend to be quite sedentary when gravid (pregnant) and will stay for weeks in quite a small area. They aren't that much of a danger if you're sensible - most bites are to people who try to pick them up.

[Silverleaf]

I hear you have to try quite hard to get an adder to bite you, they are only aggressive if they feel threatened and would much rather escape than bite. Trapped in a net though, of course she had no choice but to attack. Glad you rescued her with no harm done to either of you.

Never actually seen a wild snake, but I hope I will some day!

[Crystalmoon]

Hi PondDragon it was definitely an Adder I double checked the markings on line when I got home. Had the big V on the head & the side markings. There is some rough common ground leading to a small wooded area that runs along a river very near to the allotment site so may be she lives there. I will make a habit of checking around the area where she was caught before I leave the site for the evening until I get a chance to speak to the plot holder about the netting issue, it was the very cheap thin black Pound shop type of netting.

Hi Silverleaf, it was definitely an experience I won't forget, it was a beautiful creature.

[PondDragon]

Hi PondDragon it was definitely an Adder I double checked the markings on line when I got home. Had the big V on the head & the side markings.

I'm sorry to keep questioning your identification, but these do sound like the markings of a Grass Snake - a black & yellow V-shaped mark behind the head and dark vertical bars down the flanks. You also haven't mentioned the Adder's main feature which is the black or brown zigzag mark all the way down the back. Eye shape is a good difference as well - a round black pupil in Grass Snake, copper coloured with a vertical slit-shaped pupil in Adder. How did you identify it as a female?

You do have to be a bit careful with online IDs as some photos are misidentified. Decent photos (not mine) of the 2 species here: Adder and Grass Snake. Also a very good ID poster here: Identifying Britain’s Snakes

[ed dibbles]

A few years back we found a snake trapped in plastic garden netting on our site exactly as described above. One person thought it was an adder but it was soon identified as a grass snake.

After what was very much a joint effort by a number of plot holders we managed to free the snake by carefully cutting away the netting and let it go in some rough grass. I haven't seen any snakes on site since, hardly surprising as they are secretive, but I believe they are quite common.

Slow worms are usually more visible. There are often quite a number where I live, sometimes in compost bins/heaps though I have seen them basking on pavements before.

[woodypecks]

Well I think you are the Allotments4all Hero of the Month ,  for so kindly helping the poor creature !        Well done you ! 

[Crystalmoon]

Hi PondDragon the snake had the markings of an Adder as shown in the Adder photo in your link but it was a rusty browny red colour which I believe is a female Adder.

I spoke to the site rep yesterday & he said the site does get Adders every year....wish I had been told that when I was given my plot a few months ago, lol.

Ah thanks woodypecks, I just couldn't let it suffer as it would have starved to death.

[PondDragon]

OK, that's good. It does sound like a female. I'm sorry to doubt you but I wanted to check because persecution of snakes is an ongoing problem, including grass snakes which people mistake for adders, and you don't always know how people will react when you tell them there are adders around. For instance there are common land sites round here (Herefordshire) which have been illegally burned in the past to "get rid of the adders". Well done anyway for rescuing this one. Chances are you could well have grass snakes on the site as well.

[Crystalmoon]

PondDragon I am truly shocked to hear about what has happened to the common land sites in Herefordshire, how absolutely awful. I am actually chuffed there are snakes at our site as I assume we won't have a huge rodent population as a result & I feel privileged to have actually seen an Adder up close. The rep said the site does get grass snakes as well. The only people I have mentioned the Adder to on the site so far are the ones I see wearing shorts & venturing into the rough ground at the back of their plots that backs on to the river & common land behind....so 3 men so far & the Rep. I expect word will get around the site without me having to mention it to anyone else now. I was hoping to speak to the plot holder whose cheap netting the snake became entangled in but I haven't seen him yet, think I will donate him some debris netting to hopefully encourage him to stop using the cheap stuff that can trap the snakes.