In Profile - The Adder - Vipera berus

Adders can be variable in colour, but typically the background colour differs in males and females.

Males tend towards a grey, whitish, occasionally yellowish colour. The contrast with the black markings can make them appear almost silver. 

Male Adder

The females tend to be brownish with considerable variation of shade and occasional hints of red or yellow – although in the latter case always a much darker shade than the males.



Female adder

Both sexes are similarly marked. Typically these markings are very pronounced and extremely easy to identify, consisting of a heavy dark zigzag pattern down the back with dark spots in rows on the flanks. 

At the back of the head there is a heavy “V” or “X” shaped marking and a dark band running from behind each eye. 

The young are coloured and marked much like adult females.



Although Adders are rather stocky snakes they are not very big, seldom exceeding 60 cms in length, the males being slightly shorter. 

The head shape is notably different from the other British snakes being rather broad and angular with an upturned snout. 



The eyes are large and tend to be reddish in colour with a vertical pupil – again a feature unique to this species in this country.

The back pattern can vary in some individuals. 

With these variations there are occasional individuals that are not readily identifiable. 

A Snake in the grass.....or amongst the pumpkin by Helen Quinnell

Picture 1 - lovely spuds

The other Sunday we decided to have a traditional roast dinner as many do. So we invited the family over and got the meat cooking.  Having acquired an allotment in April this year we had plenty of fresh vegetables ready and waiting, only a dig or a pick away. Off I headed to our close and conveniently located plot with the wheelbarrow and basket to choose the delights of the day.

I started by collecting a large bucket of kale and got that soaking whilst I pulled up a few carrots before heading down to the potatoes.  I was very excited with my haul of spuds – our biggest pots to date – see picture 1. They made great roasties too!

Picture 2 - Darren being very brave......

 

Pleased with what I had gathered I thought I would do a quick tidy of some unwanted netting before I left. I grabbed the net and its wire frame and pulled it out of the ground. As I moved it through the air to throw on the grass I noticed a rather large dark objected in the middle of the bunched green net. A shriek of surprise confirmed my fear as I realised the dark object was in fact a snake!

Now Steve Irwin I’m not and I had heard that there are Adders in these parts of the county– could my new friend be dangerous? By now a fellow allotment holder, who helped me examine my find, had joined me.  Neither of us knew whether this slippery chap was the kind you should cross the road to avoid but what we did know was that he wasn’t happy. He had obviously been stuck in the net for a few days and was getting distressed with two giants looking over him and sent out a less than delightful aroma to tell us to ‘go away’. 

Picture 3 - Grass snake carefully disentangled

We freed the frightened one as much we could with a knife but still unsure of his nature I decided to load him into the wheel barrow and take him the two minute walk home where I could contact someone that is more knowledgeable and check out exactly what I was dealing with.  Luckily this particular day Darren, my long suffering boyfriend was doing some work on our garden so as I raced round the corner, still slightly in shock, they were able to confirm that it was, in fact, a Grass Snake and my life was not actually in danger!

Picture 4 - George the Grass Snake
having a drink!

Between them they carefully snipped the entwined net away from the prisoner and gave him a much-needed drink. See pictures 2 & 3.

Once we were satisfied the snake was alright (see picture 4) the boys took him back to the allotments and set him free in the surrounding bushes.

It certainly made me think about learning to identify some of the indigenous snakes of Britain, particularly the Adder! See picture 5. 

Picture 5 - This is an adder.......

Do you know your snakes?

EDITOR:

Very glad there was a sizzling happy ending to this tale.....  keep a watch out folks - next time it could be an adder........

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