Adders

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Bill Oddie narrates The New Forest Adders, a revealing film about Britain's only venomous snake

The Reptile Centre

The New Forest and its surrounding areas is home to many fascinating attractions including the Forestry Commission's Reptile Centre. It is a unique place to visit to see close-up all the snakes and lizards found in Britain. Specially designed pens give you the best chance of seeing all of our native reptiles and amphibians such as adders, toads and sand lizards which are difficult to see in the wild because they are so secretive or rare. The centre actively encourages the conservation and re-introduction of these animals across the country.

Take a visit to the New Forest Reptile Centre for a fascinating day out.

The centre is open 10am- 4.30pm between April and September.

Many of the reptiles are most likely to be out and visible on warm days. If you wish to visit on a rainy or cold day you may need to be quite patient in order to see the animals.

How to get there:
By car or bike the New Forest Reptile Centre is 2 miles south west of Lyndhurst off the A35.
There is a bus stop opposite the entrance to the Centre on the A35.

Adders - introduction

Adder (Vipera berus)
The adder is the only poisonous snake native to Britain. Adders have the most highly developed poison injecting mechanism of all snakes, but they are not aggressive animals. Adders will only use their poison as a last means of defence, usually if caught or trodden on. No one has died from adder bite in Britain for over 20 years. With proper treatment, the worst effects are nausea and drowsiness, followed by severe swelling and bruising in the area of the bite. Most people who are bitten were handling the snake. Treat adders with respect and leave them alone.

Adders - Vital Statistics

VITAL STATISTICS

Length:
Males up to 60 cm, Females up to 75 cm.
Most are less

Weight:
Males 50 - 60 gm, Females 80 - 100 gm

Lifespan:
Uncertain, probably up to 20 years

Numbers:
In Britain, not known.

WELL I NEVER! Some Interesting Facts

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Natural History
Britain's only venomous snake.
Normally has an "X", "V" or "H" mark behind the head.
Black Adders are quite frequent.
In March, the males emerge from hibernation before the females.
Courtship entails the male flicking his tongue over the female, they also sometimes
vibrate their tails.
"Dance of the adders" only involves competing males.
Ouch!
They strike their prey, inject venom, release the grip and finally follow the scent trail of
the dying animal.
Adders are not aggressive to humans and will only strike as a last resort.
The Law
It is illegal to kill, injure or sell adders.
Language
aka - The Common or Northern Viper
Adder from the Old English "Naeddre" became "A Nadder" finally "An Adder".
Superstition
Anglo-Saxons believed saying the word "Faul" when bitten would overcome the affects.
It probably seemed to work as people rarely died.
Some believed the best cure for an adder bite was to wrap the victim in sheepskin.
Ancient Britons believed it bad luck to cross the path of an adder.
Netherfield in Sussex translates to "Open land infested with adders".

New Forest Adders - Overview

Lifestyle Habitat Adders are relatively common in areas of rough, open countryside and are often associated with woodland edge habitats. They are less inclined to disappear into the surrounding undergrowth when disturbed and so are probably the most frequently seen of the three British snakes. The best time to see them is in early spring when they emerge from their hibernation dens. By mid April, the males have shed their dull winter skin and are ready to mate. There is a lot of frenzied activity on warm days, with males looking for females and occasionally wrestling with other males for supremacy. The 'dance of the adders' was thought to be a mating display, but it is a larger male attempting to drive off a smaller one. The snakes writhe around each other in an impressive way, often covering the ground at great speed. Breeding Following mating, females seek out a suitable place to give birth, often travelling over 1 kilometre from the hibernation site. Births take place in late August / early September. Unlike most reptiles, adders do not lay eggs. Young snakes are born about the size and shape of an earthworm, but a perfect miniature of the adult snake. Development During the autumn, adult snakes follow scent trails left by other adders to find their way back to the hibernation site, which is often used by many snakes over several years. The young adders tend to hibernate in the area where they were born. Their survival largely depends on the severity of the weather in the following winter. Diet Adders usually eat small rodents, such as the short-tailed vole. They will also eat lizards, frogs and newts, and have been seen taking young from the nests of ground nesting birds. When hunting, adders strike swiftly at the prey, injecting a lethal dose of poison. They then wait until the prey dies before starting the often lengthy swallowing process. Like all snakes, adders eat their prey whole, their teeth are designed to grip the prey as it is swallowed. Their jaws are linked by extensible connective tissue so each of the four main bones can move independently. This means they are able to swallow items much larger than the width of their head. The lower ends of the ribs are not joined as in most animals and can also open out considerably. The adder's digestive fluid is amazingly powerful and will digest the flesh and bones of their prey almost completely. Only the hair and teeth of rodents pass through intact. Threats Young adders are threatened by a variety of predators, including birds of prey such as the common buzzard and sometimes adult snakes. Others may be killed and eaten by rodents while in hibernation. Adders are protected by law against being killed or injured through human activity. Identification Most adders are distinctively marked with a dark zigzag running down the length of the spine and an inverted 'V' shape on the neck. Males are generally white or pale grey with a black zigzag. Females are a pale brown colour, with a darker brown zigzag. But some adders are entirely black and can be mistaken for some other species.


How The Forestry Commission manage the woods Most of the woods managed by the Forestry Commission are suitable for adders. The way they manage the woods - cutting down older trees and planting young trees - provides excellent habitat. For the first 10 years as the young trees grow, adders can build up large populations unseen. Then as the tree canopy closes overhead, the snakes seek out the light and warmth that is available at the woodland edge.

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