Roughly where abouts are you? I’ve seen one Adder in my 37 years and it was in Cornwall. Apparently you only find them there in the UK. Unless I’m wrong I’ll happily be corrected. If it’s not an Adder it’s an escaped pet.
What a beauty. I’m jealous, the closest we get to wildlife around my parts these days seem to be rather fat rats.
PoolRamen on
Hop over to Epping forest
If you avoid the dogging then you might even spot some snakes
LoccyDaBorg on
No step on snek.
abarishyper on
Saw one in the new forest once, they are very shy creatures so a rare sighting. The only venomous snake in the UK.
HussingtonHat on
First one I saw was one my cat had caught. Giving him a rather fetching twirly moustache.
senditoverthewaves on
Several years ago,ย our then 1 year old Labrador was bitten on her face by an Adder. It was February and we weren’t expecting the Adders to be active at that time of the year, but the vet told us that then can be active at temperatures of 10c and more.
Luckily we had pet insurance, the total cost came to somewhere in the region of ยฃ1400.ย
Charly_030 on
Black Adder… black adder…
Powerjugs on
Only time I’ve seen a snake in the wild was on a Scout hike many, many years ago. Think was also an adder. Not a Black Adder, sadly
NeoGe on
I see them fairly regularly around Cannock Chase, Staffordshire. Have to be careful not run them over when on my MTB.
Artistic-Blueberry12 on
Nearly got myself bitten by one of these when I was a teen after sliding down a really steep hill on my arse I came to a stop, face first at a nice sheet of rusted corrugated iron, and one of these fellas basking on it.
It reared up like it was about to bite my stupid face then it just darted away.
My brother picked up some delightful ticks. It was a grand day.
NoMedium3479 on
Unfortunately I have only seen a dead one, this was in a country park in Peterborough. I have seen plenty of live grass snakes though.
kingbluetit on
Itโs a male adder, and itโs absolutely gorgeous. Theyโll most likely be extinct within our lifetimes so youโre very lucky to see one.
SnooHamsters5480 on
If this is an adder, i got bitten by one of these about 15 years ago, while swimming in a river in Lancaster, I think I got to close when walking up the river bank barefoot.
Didn’t feel the bite initially, but suffered the worst 24 hours of vomiting in my life. Foot swelled up like a ballon for a few days, but apart from that I was all fine.
Ollymid2 on
First snake I saw in the UK was Robin Van Persie
veryabnormal on
Saw one basking in the sun last year in Austria under the Dachstein and I got far too excited about it and needed a nice sit down. I know they are in the local hills as someone has made some winter shelters for them and itโs the right habitat but havenโt spotted one yet. Iโll go look today, itโs sunny and my dog wants a walk.
Brigowaas on
There gets to be problems in Scotland when they start sunning themselves in February/March as the adders are still quite slow so more likely to strike dogs than slither away. Unfortunately antivenom can be quite a distance away, with unfortunate consequences.
Being an islander we don’t have any reptiles so was quite surprised to discover lizards and snakes in Mainland Scotland, I’d always assumed (wrongly) they were a southern England thing.
UKMan_1 on
Can you tell me where it was so I can stay tf away from it. Thanks.
lilidragonfly on
Adder! So pretty
Hefty_Tip7383 on
Adders in West Riding in right areas.
MistaGiz on
That is definitely an adder. UK has two native snakes and the adder has the black diamond pattern.
BigDsLittleD on
40+ years old. Never seen a snake in the wild.
Probably only ever seen a badger a couple times, hedgehogs too for that matter
Deer and rabbits, Pheasants and foxes, constantly, they love the fact that my parents have decided to “re-Wild” their garden (they haven’t, they’re just old and lazy)
But snakes, never seen one.
Hedgehopper25 on
Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden the first snake has been spotted in the UK. No doubt seeking an unsuspecting British Eve to beguile.
Kristopher9999 on
Do you mean the first snake this season, or are snakes that uncommon in the UK?
OneOffReturn on
Well im 50, and ive only ever seen an adder 3 times in my life.
The first time i saw one, well, it was baited to be where it was found. I was doing a countryside management course at Kingston Maurwood in 2001, and the teacher lifted up a sheet of corrugated metal in dorchester woods, and there it was.
The second time i saw one in 2011 i think, it was dead. Its body was just hanging there in some hedge, i think a bird dropped it there.
The 3rd time i saw one was in 2021 i think, i saw it from a distance crossing the road, while i was out with my mums horse in a horse carriage. It was lucky i spotted it, otherwise it might have bitten her horse.
Fickle-Public1972 on
Some used to in the woods around Nairn. However that about 40 years ago
MJ-Franklin on
Been years since I’ve seen one and I live rural too, good spot!
TheDawiWhisperer on
I’ve only ever seen a single snake in 42 years.
It was disappearing nto the heather on the moors near Whitby.
I’d never seen a red squirrel until I was about 38 either
IndividualCurious322 on
Adder! I mostly see TONS of grass snakes.
AcePlanespotting on
Beautiful adder ๐
Samfez23 on
I constantly saw shedded skin when I lived in rural Essex. Never seen a live one once though.
BritDr on
I saw one when I was 6 … That was 49 years ago
Datamat0410 on
I saw one once in Cannock chase West Midlands. This was sometime in July-early August 2015 I think. Late afternoon. I was walking edge of foresty area, no people around really just me in my own and then I came across this snake crossing my (stony) path ahead. Was quite small really, very thin and you could easily miss it I guess if not looking down properly! I never forget this lol. I wouldnโt say Iโm scared of snakes but I did stall for a moment and carefully went around it.
Sea_Photograph_3998 on
It is beautiful!
Guiseppe_Martini on
Plenty of snekcs round where I live Hun xoxo
StoobsJ74 on
I’ve seen one in my 52 years. Just outside Wool in Dorset. It was smaller than this, coiled up on a grass path in the sun.
Big_Sorbet_5378 on
Lovely Adder. Nearly stood on one around 30 years ago in Hinchingbrooke park. Only snake Iโve personally seen in wild within the UK as well.
Reasonable-Lack-9461 on
Adders are beautiful but not so fun if you’re bitten! Many adders here in Cornwall, particularly up on the moorlands. Tourist doggie walkers should be cautious.
Eastern-Life-1598 on
Never seen an adder in the uk wow!
I thought this was someone who didnt know we had a native snake!
Bec21-21 on
A very long time ago, my grandad got in the local hospital when an adder bit him. I guess it was the 60s/70s and the local paper was having a quiet week.
I also remember him getting bitten by a squirrel.
The biggest thing my grandad taught me was me was, donโt try to touch the wildlife.
40 commenti
Roughly where abouts are you? I’ve seen one Adder in my 37 years and it was in Cornwall. Apparently you only find them there in the UK. Unless I’m wrong I’ll happily be corrected. If it’s not an Adder it’s an escaped pet.
Hmm found this:
[Identify UK snakes | The Wildlife Trusts](https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/how-identify/identify-snakes)
What a beauty. I’m jealous, the closest we get to wildlife around my parts these days seem to be rather fat rats.
Hop over to Epping forest
If you avoid the dogging then you might even spot some snakes
No step on snek.
Saw one in the new forest once, they are very shy creatures so a rare sighting. The only venomous snake in the UK.
First one I saw was one my cat had caught. Giving him a rather fetching twirly moustache.
Several years ago,ย our then 1 year old Labrador was bitten on her face by an Adder. It was February and we weren’t expecting the Adders to be active at that time of the year, but the vet told us that then can be active at temperatures of 10c and more.
Luckily we had pet insurance, the total cost came to somewhere in the region of ยฃ1400.ย
Black Adder… black adder…
Only time I’ve seen a snake in the wild was on a Scout hike many, many years ago. Think was also an adder. Not a Black Adder, sadly
I see them fairly regularly around Cannock Chase, Staffordshire. Have to be careful not run them over when on my MTB.
Nearly got myself bitten by one of these when I was a teen after sliding down a really steep hill on my arse I came to a stop, face first at a nice sheet of rusted corrugated iron, and one of these fellas basking on it.
It reared up like it was about to bite my stupid face then it just darted away.
My brother picked up some delightful ticks. It was a grand day.
Unfortunately I have only seen a dead one, this was in a country park in Peterborough. I have seen plenty of live grass snakes though.
Itโs a male adder, and itโs absolutely gorgeous. Theyโll most likely be extinct within our lifetimes so youโre very lucky to see one.
If this is an adder, i got bitten by one of these about 15 years ago, while swimming in a river in Lancaster, I think I got to close when walking up the river bank barefoot.
Didn’t feel the bite initially, but suffered the worst 24 hours of vomiting in my life. Foot swelled up like a ballon for a few days, but apart from that I was all fine.
First snake I saw in the UK was Robin Van Persie
Saw one basking in the sun last year in Austria under the Dachstein and I got far too excited about it and needed a nice sit down. I know they are in the local hills as someone has made some winter shelters for them and itโs the right habitat but havenโt spotted one yet. Iโll go look today, itโs sunny and my dog wants a walk.
There gets to be problems in Scotland when they start sunning themselves in February/March as the adders are still quite slow so more likely to strike dogs than slither away. Unfortunately antivenom can be quite a distance away, with unfortunate consequences.
Being an islander we don’t have any reptiles so was quite surprised to discover lizards and snakes in Mainland Scotland, I’d always assumed (wrongly) they were a southern England thing.
Can you tell me where it was so I can stay tf away from it. Thanks.
Adder! So pretty
Adders in West Riding in right areas.
That is definitely an adder. UK has two native snakes and the adder has the black diamond pattern.
40+ years old. Never seen a snake in the wild.
Probably only ever seen a badger a couple times, hedgehogs too for that matter
Deer and rabbits, Pheasants and foxes, constantly, they love the fact that my parents have decided to “re-Wild” their garden (they haven’t, they’re just old and lazy)
But snakes, never seen one.
Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden the first snake has been spotted in the UK. No doubt seeking an unsuspecting British Eve to beguile.
Do you mean the first snake this season, or are snakes that uncommon in the UK?
Well im 50, and ive only ever seen an adder 3 times in my life.
The first time i saw one, well, it was baited to be where it was found. I was doing a countryside management course at Kingston Maurwood in 2001, and the teacher lifted up a sheet of corrugated metal in dorchester woods, and there it was.
The second time i saw one in 2011 i think, it was dead. Its body was just hanging there in some hedge, i think a bird dropped it there.
The 3rd time i saw one was in 2021 i think, i saw it from a distance crossing the road, while i was out with my mums horse in a horse carriage. It was lucky i spotted it, otherwise it might have bitten her horse.
Some used to in the woods around Nairn. However that about 40 years ago
Been years since I’ve seen one and I live rural too, good spot!
I’ve only ever seen a single snake in 42 years.
It was disappearing nto the heather on the moors near Whitby.
I’d never seen a red squirrel until I was about 38 either
Adder! I mostly see TONS of grass snakes.
Beautiful adder ๐
I constantly saw shedded skin when I lived in rural Essex. Never seen a live one once though.
I saw one when I was 6 … That was 49 years ago
I saw one once in Cannock chase West Midlands. This was sometime in July-early August 2015 I think. Late afternoon. I was walking edge of foresty area, no people around really just me in my own and then I came across this snake crossing my (stony) path ahead. Was quite small really, very thin and you could easily miss it I guess if not looking down properly! I never forget this lol. I wouldnโt say Iโm scared of snakes but I did stall for a moment and carefully went around it.
It is beautiful!
Plenty of snekcs round where I live Hun xoxo
I’ve seen one in my 52 years. Just outside Wool in Dorset. It was smaller than this, coiled up on a grass path in the sun.
Lovely Adder. Nearly stood on one around 30 years ago in Hinchingbrooke park. Only snake Iโve personally seen in wild within the UK as well.
Adders are beautiful but not so fun if you’re bitten! Many adders here in Cornwall, particularly up on the moorlands. Tourist doggie walkers should be cautious.
Never seen an adder in the uk wow!
I thought this was someone who didnt know we had a native snake!
A very long time ago, my grandad got in the local hospital when an adder bit him. I guess it was the 60s/70s and the local paper was having a quiet week.
I also remember him getting bitten by a squirrel.
The biggest thing my grandad taught me was me was, donโt try to touch the wildlife.