Adders

[al woodcock]

Viperaberus.


If you were bitten by a puff adder, Africa's most dangerous snake (not my description), I think you'd have been in a far worse sate than a hit from our, fairly harmless, vipera berus. Please explain!

AL.

[WW]

Snakebites are unpredictable because the amount of venom injected can vary from nothing (a so-called "dry bite") to all the venom that the snake has. If you are lucky, you walk away from a puff adder bite without any symptoms at all, if you are unlucky, you end up in ICU from a European adder bite.

Incidentally, "fairly harmless" is not really an apt descriptor for Vipera berus - something like 10% of bites give rise to potentially life- or limb-threatening symptoms. While there have not been any fatalities in the UK in 35 years, there have been some very close calls, including at least one person who went into cardiac arrest and was lucky enough to be brought back.

[ViperaBerus]

Originally Posted by al woodcock

Viperaberus.


If you were bitten by a puff adder, Africa's most dangerous snake (not my description), I think you'd have been in a far worse sate than a hit from our, fairly harmless, vipera berus. Please explain!

AL.

I was bitten on the left foot through the laces in my boot by a large Puffy. Only got minor swelling despite both fangs going in. I was very very lucky.

As already explained in the post above, you get get bitten by the same snake ten times, and every one of those bites can have a different result depending on many factors... mood of the snake, temperature, time of day, location, position, how much venom the snake injects, whether the fangs are due for renewal and have disconnected from the v.gland, the degree of disconnection, whether the snake has just fed and so on and so on.

[brilee]

Originally Posted by fairplay

You should put the fear of adders completely out of your mind.
If you are a hill walker, you probably wear stiff thick soles, which would make your steps heavy, sending vibrations to the adder giving it time to slither away.
Alternatively, if the wind is behind you, the adder will get a whiff of your scent and move to safety.

BUT, a lot of the time they will just stay still and rely on their camouflage and you will walk past without seeing it.

The biggest 'danger' is on Open Access land when you may be walking through the heather with no obvious tracks.
It is hard going walking through heather and one is tempted to step onto spaces between the plants, but this is where you may come close to actually stepping on an adder, which will be most likely in a position where the sun is shining to warm up, especially after sunrise or just before sunset.

Mid-day in full sun is too hot for them, so they will be in the shade somewhere.
Somebody once told me they came across an adder that refused to move off a narrow track as it had young, but my belief is that they abandon their young at birth, although I have seen young (6 inches) and adults together.

They will (nearly) always be basking close to cover of some sort ready for a quick retreat and on sunken footpaths look on the side which catches the sunlight.

I was unpaid manager of a private nature reserve for a short while and found it very easy to make a semi-circle shape in the bracken, using last years dead bracken as a camouflage base with logs, gorse or heather forming the semi-circle facing south. These basking areas were set out throughout the reserve and everyone was quickly occupied.

I also constructed 2 hibernacula/hibernaculum's and these too were quickly adopted, but with just one pair in each, but these results were inconclusive as the owner would take her dog into the reserve, she didn't like adders, and got her gardener to trash the hibernaculums. A sad end.

By the way, an adder bite is no worse than a wasp sting and in most cases hospital treatment is not needed, the biggest danger is from analyptic (someone else will spell that word)! shock - which is nothing to do with being bitten on the bum , so it is important for this reason alone, you do seek medical advice immediately.
Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think the last case of a death due to a bite (not shock) was over 50 years ago, although dogs die every year.

Neil.

Neil.

Hi Neil,some really interesting info there regarding Adders,how do you make your hibernacular ?,pity they ended up being trashed though,thats just a typical attitude of a lot of people unfortunately.To my mind looking for Adders is one of the most exciting and rewarding activities, cant wait for early Spring,might try late Feb as an outside chance,if theres a settled spell of reasonable weather,Regards Bri.

[brilee]

Originally Posted by ViperaBerus

Amazingly I saw my first today. I was just checking that the tins were still OK and not been messed about with, and there we have one adult male coiled tightly under one. Hadn't got my camera as I wasn't expecting anything. It's quite sunny here today, but nevertheless, still a whopping surprise.

Can I also squash this rumour that adder bites are similar to bee/wasp stings, this is far from the truth. In fact Berus has quite a toxic venom on a par to that of the Timber Rattlesnake. Luckily it is small and has small venom glands compared to that, so the dose injected will not be anywhere near as dangerous. I've been bitten three times now, and even the neonate caused quite unwelcome symptoms. Medical attention should be sought immediately should anyone get bitten. New research has suggested that what was once thought to be a haemotoxic venom, is now cytotoxic with certain neurotoxic factions. Quite a potent mixture and far removed from a bee or wasp sting. I have loads of those every summer with no problems :-D

Thats a really early one,is that the earliest you have seen ? Regards Bri.

[brilee]

Originally Posted by fairplay

You should put the fear of adders completely out of your mind.
If you are a hill walker, you probably wear stiff thick soles, which would make your steps heavy, sending vibrations to the adder giving it time to slither away.
Alternatively, if the wind is behind you, the adder will get a whiff of your scent and move to safety.

BUT, a lot of the time they will just stay still and rely on their camouflage and you will walk past without seeing it.

The biggest 'danger' is on Open Access land when you may be walking through the heather with no obvious tracks.
It is hard going walking through heather and one is tempted to step onto spaces between the plants, but this is where you may come close to actually stepping on an adder, which will be most likely in a position where the sun is shining to warm up, especially after sunrise or just before sunset.

Mid-day in full sun is too hot for them, so they will be in the shade somewhere.
Somebody once told me they came across an adder that refused to move off a narrow track as it had young, but my belief is that they abandon their young at birth, although I have seen young (6 inches) and adults together.

They will (nearly) always be basking close to cover of some sort ready for a quick retreat and on sunken footpaths look on the side which catches the sunlight.

I was unpaid manager of a private nature reserve for a short while and found it very easy to make a semi-circle shape in the bracken, using last years dead bracken as a camouflage base with logs, gorse or heather forming the semi-circle facing south. These basking areas were set out throughout the reserve and everyone was quickly occupied.

I also constructed 2 hibernacula/hibernaculum's and these too were quickly adopted, but with just one pair in each, but these results were inconclusive as the owner would take her dog into the reserve, she didn't like adders, and got her gardener to trash the hibernaculums. A sad end.

By the way, an adder bite is no worse than a wasp sting and in most cases hospital treatment is not needed, the biggest danger is from analyptic (someone else will spell that word)! shock - which is nothing to do with being bitten on the bum , so it is important for this reason alone, you do seek medical advice immediately.
Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I think the last case of a death due to a bite (not shock) was over 50 years ago, although dogs die every year.

Neil.

Neil.

Some good tips there Neil,im interested in the hibernacula you made have you any pics or info ? this forum as whetted my appetite cant wait for Spring,shame your hibernacula were trashed,unfortunately that sums up quite a lot of peoples attitude,Searching for Adders is one of the most exciting and rewarding pastimes,my spot is South Yorks,might try end of Feb as an outside chance if we get a settled spell ! Regards Brilee.

[fairplay]

Hello Brilee,

I constructed 2 along the top of a gentle SE facing sandy slope which I'd been trying to keep clear of bracken by hand pulling. It was also close to the Birch tree line. Location TM45 60 Suffolk Coast.

I started by scraping away the bracken mulch (saving for later) then digging away a hollow in the sand just over 1 metre across to a depth of maybe 30-40 centimetres. Next I spread a thin layer of clean bracken mulch all over the bottom, then using pre-cut birch logs about 8cm thick x 30cm long, shaped a network of corridors with a central chamber in the middle, with a front entrance corridor and rear escape corridor cum entrance.

The central chamber was about 30cm square, maybe bigger, and had extra mulch in for 'bedding' (not knowing if it was necessary).
So looking from above it looked like a maze.

As I had an endless supply of Birch, I next laid across the top 6 more lengths of 1 metre so I now had 2 layers of logs with was now level with the ground.
I thought it important to keep rain water out, so next placed 3 large black refuse sacks over the logs followed by the bracken mulch I had previously scraped away, ending up with a 'mound' shape about 1.5 metres across.

To make it blend in with the surroundings I threw Birch brashings on top and around the area.
It was important to have a safe basking area for when they emerge so with more logs, I shaped a bay like area facing SE. where the emergence hole was, but keeping it as discrete as possible.
These were completed by the early September to give adders time to find these 2 hibernacula.
At nearby Halesworth, we had the HQ of Froglife and a little closer was the HQ of Herpetofauna International Consultancy who told me nobody had built artificial hibernacula for adders before (I'm sure they have) so "Keep us informed"

The following spring (March/April) I was pleased to report both hibernacula had a pair of adders basking in each of the 'bays' but I have no proof that they actually emerged from the hibernacula I created.

Adders remained at these 2 sites for about 3 weeks until I discovered them trashed. I was so annoyed with the owner, I spoke to the police wildlife officer, but it was only an offence if the snakes were injured or killed.

Neil.

[brilee]

Really interesting stuff on your hibernacula,thanks a lot for all the info,think the owner needs educating !! all the best Bri.

[al woodcock]

Well.
New Forest.
Been out today and no adders yet. Can't be long now!