Britain's only venomous viper, the adder. It's a beautiful and mysterious snake, whose natural history is steeped in legend. For CBBC's Deadly Predators, Steve Backshall and team go in search of this scintillating serpent
I saw my first Adder two days ago in Weymouth Dorset while on holiday I've wanted to see a snake in the wild since I was a kid. I was so excited when I saw it, I love seeing wild life in its natural habitat it was an experience I will never forget.
@@rosiebowring5859 I was walking the coastal path near the holiday camp I was staying at Little sea Havern this is the coordinates from my photo data 50.596024,-2.497490 if you copy this and put it in Google maps you will have the exact location.
I would scream cuz I am scared of snakes and I wet out with my mates in Cannock chase and we found eggs and loads of snake holes and they made me walk through ferns 😂
Saw my first today they are fascinating snakes. I had been looking without success. I asked a ranger where fo look and he trusted me and told me but they have to be secret about where the adder spots are because people want to harm them. I don’t see why as they are timid, inoffensive snakes.
That's so sad, and likely driven by fear. Fear comes from lack of awareness and understanding of these creatures. Adders are reclusive snakes, they prey on small mammals and amphibians. As long as you keep dogs on leads and keep a safe distance, adders won't bother you.
I saw an adder when I was a kid in 1963 on The Sychnant Pass near Conwy in North Wales.I have been back to the exact spot hoping to see one again, but no luck.
There are some at Auld Macdonalds Adder Farm, EIE IO. But seriously: Holyhead mountain has many so I've been told. Also, near Conwy, we have large snakes in the hills above Mochdre. A pregnant female escaped from the Colwyn Bay Zoo and now there are lots around the area. They are not venomous. The same species can also be found in the sewers in London and they have been known to get into people's homes by coming up the sewer pipes and popping out of the WC. I always close the bathroom door when I go to bed after hearing this.
I've encountered a couple adders in Sweden, once accidentally even disturbing one with my family's dog. Every time I've simply stayed still and they've slithered away without a fuss. They're surprisingly timid. I remember one autumn when I was assisting at a nature school when we encountered one with a gradeschool class. It was a somewhat small viper that was clearly about to hibernate due to how sluggish it behaved (plus it was close to freezing temperatures outside). The instructors and I were able to give a really good impromptu course for the kinds while we all watched at a safe distance, letting it slowly move away from the forest path.
I love your enthusiasm for snakes which I share, but I was told If you leave a snake to go in peace, it will leave you to go in peace. Sound advice which worked for me with a Black Necked Spitting Cobra in West Africa when I just stood and watched one on a tree branch, it opened its hood to warn me but when it realized I was no threat it closed its hood and went its way giving me a good view of the pink and black belly markings. Loved it.
Spotted an adder crossing a minor road today in Curbar, Peak District. It was only by chance that I spotted it, firstly thinking it was injured but actually it was fine and swiftly making it's way onto the verge and into a stone wall. Very majestic, agile and a sight to behold (having never seen one!) - felt quite privileged!
I've been all over looking for adders...up the moors looking under old metal work signs and seen absolutely none even though there was a warning sign up of adders in the area. I've seen one grass snake and that's it.
60 years old, lived in rural UK all my life and never seen an adder in the wild. Well not entirely true, I have seen some on a school trip to a nature area where part of the guide’s tour is to lift a piece of corrugated iron to reveal a number of adders. Strictly, speaking they were in the wild, the nature area has no controlled borders so the wildlife are free to go where they want - still felt a little artificial though, as the corrugated iron had clearly been put down as an artificial home to attract them.
I have never seen an adder :( I would so love to spot one in the wild. Not dangerous as long as you keep your distance and are aware when in adder country. Keep dogs on leads and wear suitable foot and leg wear when out and about in areas known to have adders, and you will be fine.
@@justsain3236 They can be anywhere with the correct habitat. Adders like tall grass, which is why it's important to wear boots which protect your feet and lower legs when walking in such areas, and keep dogs on leads. I think you can find out online where adders are most common, and I am not sure about that area.
I used to find them on horse dung piles. I moved to the midlands from the South Lakes-I know terrible! I'm thankfully since back up North. It was my main joy on weekends as a child catching grass snakes and viviparous lizards on the piles, even once a slowworm. I also when I travel up to Cartmel, see them on the woodland trails sunning themselves. Deadly.
I doubt we get these up in the north but I've always wanted to see natural reptiles here as I assumed they must have went extinct or were on the verge of it but seeing one on video is amazing
Noi you do!!! The adder occurs all the way up to the north of Scotland, and is even found in far north Europe too. I so hope you get to see one soon! SB
I saw one today in the north of Sweden. I was going trough a forrest when while standing on a pile of branches I saw a adder sitting in de sun one meter away from me. I was terrified and stumbled away in fear. I didn't know their are snakes in Sweden.
There are stacks of adders in the uk. They tend to live in colonies, you can pass miles and miles of suitable countryside habitats without seeing any. Then there will be a small area with loads of them living together. Grass snakes tend to be more spread out. The adders in Essex are extremely docile. I regularly handle wild specimens on clacton nature reserve.
Adders are the northern most living species of viper. They're also the species with the widest distribution of all European vipers and venomous snakes.
It is the one thing I have always wanted to see in the UK and never once seen one. My mum and dad and little sister did when we were kids but I was off playing at the time. One of my biggest regrets that I wasn't there plus we live in Scotland. There is less of a chance of seeing one.
I've had the unpleasant misfortune of stepping on one of these snakes whilst walking a trail with my dog, not a very nice experience but they are a beautiful snake indeed.
I saw one as a child on one occasion playing in the bracken as a kid. This would have been in the 1970's. Then I was luck enough to see one a couple of years ago on a dog walk, it was curled up and was very small... probably a juvenile. My wife saw it and initially I thought it was a slow worm.. but then on closer inspection there was no mistaking the markings. So yeah, two in my lifetime, they are incredibly adept at keeping away from humans. I have seen hundreds of grass snakes, slowworms and so on.. but adders are far less common.
I remember many many yrs ago when I was camping on Dartmoor with a class full of kids , around 15 of us , apparently it was breeding season for the snakes , we all got up early , and one of the kids shouted , snake ,,,🐍 then the teacher went over with two sticks , lifted it off the ground and tossed it into a metal cylinder on the camp fire that was full of boiling water , I’ve never seen a snake circle so quick ,, , that’s a genuine snake skin watch strap I’m making ,, he laughed ,, I’ve often wondered if he made one ,, and the story’s he’d tell people down the pub ,, recycling, thats,for sure 😅
They burmentate it's like hibernation but they are fully awake and move if need be they slow their metabolism way down so they are just ticking over idle like and in spring time they come back to normal and will eat and mate too this can be replicated on snake keeping but never with adders obviously and over the warmer months the adder will have plenty of fat reserves to tick over the winter they will find empty borrows or under large rocks or even in a cave to burmentate.
I'll be moving to the UK from Singapore next year and going down from 70 or so native snake species to only a handful. Anyone got tips on where to find adders?
The odds of you seeing one are extremely slim. Our most common reptiles are lizards and grass snakes, you will very rarely see them, unless you actively look for them.
Tbh you would think that uk adder would be way more venemous. Useally snakes evolve to develop more potent venom to kill prey quick and waiste no time. And since there so small id think they would be alot more toxic
Steve Adders aren’t deadly, they c an give cause for concern when an elderly infirm person is bitten or a young child but I can’t remember the last time someone died from a bite, the last death I know of is of someone who had an allergic reaction to the antivenin. I became interested after being bitten myself in 1976 due to falling on one and again in 1983 due to being a silly sod whilst handling one, both times i was fine.
Hi Ian, that's not the point of this series - we say it in the title sequence of every single one of the hundreds of programs. Deadly IN THEIR WORLD, to other animals, not to us. But as a side hustle, I have been bitten and was hospitalised as a super fit twenty something.
I'm an Aussie. That's all you guys have got. Gee he doesn't really rate much on the poison scale. He'd come in about top 50 here. It's half asleep. A King brown snake here at just under 9ft would eat it. Literally.
@@PortmanRd as an island central to Europe, there are many invasive animals, rodents, insects, and the like. i believe that if 'karen' can't be arsed to mesh up his/her prize begonias then it's not the 'invasive' animal that's at fault, and shouldn't be punished or alienated like they commonly do.
I could not agree more. My problem is the people who introduced them in the first place, especially when they decide to play God by bringing in an invasive species to control a native one.
I’m 100% sure I seen an adder in Ireland before when I was younger and ran into my da to tell him and he just laughed and said no snakes in Ireland. I know what I fuckin seen ffs😂. Even looked it up and supposedly no snakes in Ireland. Must have gotten here some how from England. This was in mid 90s
1st Adder i saw was on real short coastal grass which gave us a terrific view. We were atop of a prehistoric burial chamber on Anglesey & i remember it clearly although it was about 35 yrs ago, beautiful it was.
Erm since when as our black adders been deadly,yes they have venom but it's not deadly it's painfull but it's not really toxic compared a gaboon vipers.
They're dangerous to the elderly and young kids. If you're bitten, it can make you sick; sometimes you can faint, redness where bitten, and painful bite.
They are dangerous, if they feel threatened they will strike. The venom is fast acting: seek immediate hospital attention. My brother was bitten way back - didnt even know it was near him. Ankle bite and my god did he suffer. His leg up beyond the knee turned purple and swelled enormously. He described the pain as acute, stinging, constant throbbing. Constant dizziness, vomiting and the shakes. A&E said he didnt lapse into anaephilactic shock, this was an expected and unpleasant reaction. He is a tough character by nature but it made him, a grown man, shriek out in distress. If you see one. Respect it and avoid it
