Discussion
Specifically, ADDERS!
I went out on the bike today, on Yateley Common Country Park, and had a bloody close encounter with an Adder.
Trundling along a bridleway, I spotted the dark squiggle, and thought "Ooh! A slow Worm!"
As I braked to a standstill, desperate to get a picture, it slithered across the path BETWEEN my wheels
and I narrowly avoided doing it some damage. At this point, I realised, from the lovely markings, that it wasn't a large Slow Worm, but in fact a small Adder.
No more than 18 inches long, and quite slim, it paid me no attention whatsoever, and just disappeared into the Gorse bushes on the other side of the path, before I even got my camera out of it's case
As I didn't manage a picture, I'll leave this here...
..the colouring of the snake I spotted was closest to the one at top right.
Beautiful as they are, anyone walking a dog on sandy heathland ought to be aware of the presence of Adders at this time of year, and keep curious dogs either close by, or on a lead.
I went out on the bike today, on Yateley Common Country Park, and had a bloody close encounter with an Adder.
Trundling along a bridleway, I spotted the dark squiggle, and thought "Ooh! A slow Worm!"
As I braked to a standstill, desperate to get a picture, it slithered across the path BETWEEN my wheels
and I narrowly avoided doing it some damage. At this point, I realised, from the lovely markings, that it wasn't a large Slow Worm, but in fact a small Adder.No more than 18 inches long, and quite slim, it paid me no attention whatsoever, and just disappeared into the Gorse bushes on the other side of the path, before I even got my camera out of it's case
As I didn't manage a picture, I'll leave this here...
..the colouring of the snake I spotted was closest to the one at top right.
Beautiful as they are, anyone walking a dog on sandy heathland ought to be aware of the presence of Adders at this time of year, and keep curious dogs either close by, or on a lead.
Digger said:
Wuss.
Wuss? For why?I bloody love snakes, and was hoping it would stick around long enough for a picture.
The only thing I was concerned about was damaging the poor thing, as I'd spotted it too late to really plan a route around it. I missed running it over more by luck than judgement. Knowing their behaviour, I should have stuck around for half an hour and given it a chance to re-appear, but I was on a bike ride, so cracked on.
I just thought a timely reminder was in order for anyone who walks a dog in such an area, as March to October is the peak period for Adder bites, although they are pretty timid, and only strike when disturbed.
Like I say, I really wanted a picture, but as it's tail slipped from sight into the Gorse thicket, my camera was still not quite 'on' (lens still retracted) so I missed out. I'm sure I'll get another chance, though, as the local heathland is apparently home to quite a healthy population.
I was scared! Scared of doing the poor thing some damage by rolling over him. I'm presuming it was a 'him' because 'he' was as thin as a whip, and in most pictures Adders look a little 'thicker'. Like most animals, the female is slightly 'chunkier' for good reproductive reasons. Either that or it wasn't fully grown (I estimated 'him' as being less than 18 inches, males typically reach 2 feet when fully developed), but it's almost certainly too early for the appearance of this season's young.
You'll never find an Adder's egg, though. In late summer they birth a litter of about 8 youngsters, live, in a membrane which they shed immediately. I'm off back there in the next few days to see if I can spot anymore. The best time to see them is on a reasonably hot day, with intermittent cloud cover, the day after we've had rain. The rain cools the snake, and the environment, which drives the snake to bask in the sun. The intermittent cloud means that when the sun does shine on it's territory, there's a very real imperative for it to 'sunbathe' to give it the energy to hunt. I reckon yesterday was probably a really good day for snake spotting, because of Monday nights heavy rain.
ETA:
FFS do not try to handle or harm any of the British native reptiles...
Adders (in fact, ALL native reptiles) are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
You don't need a licence to catch or handle the adder, grass snake, slow worm and common lizard, but it is an offence to kill, harm or injure them. Hence why I was keen not to run 'mine' over
A licence IS required to handle or disturb the smooth snake and sand lizard.
You'll never find an Adder's egg, though. In late summer they birth a litter of about 8 youngsters, live, in a membrane which they shed immediately. I'm off back there in the next few days to see if I can spot anymore. The best time to see them is on a reasonably hot day, with intermittent cloud cover, the day after we've had rain. The rain cools the snake, and the environment, which drives the snake to bask in the sun. The intermittent cloud means that when the sun does shine on it's territory, there's a very real imperative for it to 'sunbathe' to give it the energy to hunt. I reckon yesterday was probably a really good day for snake spotting, because of Monday nights heavy rain.
ETA:
FFS do not try to handle or harm any of the British native reptiles...
Adders (in fact, ALL native reptiles) are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
You don't need a licence to catch or handle the adder, grass snake, slow worm and common lizard, but it is an offence to kill, harm or injure them. Hence why I was keen not to run 'mine' over
A licence IS required to handle or disturb the smooth snake and sand lizard.
Edited by yellowjack on Wednesday 11th June 08:31
Ayahuasca said:
yellowjack said:
I bloody love snakes
You'd like it where I live then. Keep 'em.
I bloody love largely harmless native British snakes
I had my fill of Puff Adders, Mambas, Cobras and Boomslangs when I worked in Kenya, thanks very much!
yellowjack said:
Ayahuasca said:
yellowjack said:
I bloody love snakes
You'd like it where I live then. Keep 'em.
I bloody love largely harmless native British snakes
I had my fill of Puff Adders, Mambas, Cobras and Boomslangs when I worked in Kenya, thanks very much!
Saw a grass snake swimming across a small pond recently. Seen one do that before, but it still doesn't quite compute to see a snake swimming in water and slithering between the reeds on the hunt for frogs and alike.
A dog got bitten by an adder near Coventry last month. It survived, but needed a week or two to recover because the local vet had no antivenin immediately to-hand.
A dog got bitten by an adder near Coventry last month. It survived, but needed a week or two to recover because the local vet had no antivenin immediately to-hand.
I regularly see Grass Snakes swimming on the Basingstoke Canal. Usually when you disturb them basking on the towpath and they make off for safety on the other side.
As a lad growing up near Swansea, there were always Adders out on the Gower, but someone at Swansea University was taking them from the wild to study them, then the local press got wind of the 'plot' to "reintroduce" them after the studies finished. Suffice to say, the local walkers and dog owners were up in arms about it. That was thirty years ago, but the 'shocking story' gets retold with some regularity... http://professorpbrainsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08...
As a lad growing up near Swansea, there were always Adders out on the Gower, but someone at Swansea University was taking them from the wild to study them, then the local press got wind of the 'plot' to "reintroduce" them after the studies finished. Suffice to say, the local walkers and dog owners were up in arms about it. That was thirty years ago, but the 'shocking story' gets retold with some regularity... http://professorpbrainsblog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08...
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