Adder questions

[FUDGEY]

I am mainly a bird man, but I have decided Id like a picture of an Adder and was wondering if one of yous could possibly answer some questions to help me find one. I kanow a good area where I have seen them in the past, but Ive been up several times in last few weeks and not had a sighting. Firstly what time do they emerge in the morning? Will they only come out when the Sun is round a certain height? Secondly, do they prefer to bask in a wind free area? ie on a slope thats not getting hit by the wind? Also do they bask throughout the day or just in the morning and once they have heated up thats them set for the day, i would guess this will depend on the temp on that particular day. Finally do they have favoured habitats? for example will they prefer to have some thick cover at close hand or will they be readily found in open grass land (quite long grass with short grass too) ? Sorry for so many questions Hope someone can help ty

[marvin]

hi fudgey

there is no simple answer to some of your questions unfortunately, but i'll have a go.

you may not have seen any adders on recent visits for a number of reasons. in spring most adders remain close to hibernation dens until mating time is over which is around now. then the males, juveniles and non-reproductive females disperse to summer feeding grounds. depending on the time of year you have seen adders in the past, it may be that you have either come across them around hibernation areas but they have now dispersed or you have come across them in their summer grounds where they are much harder to see and/or haven't arrived yet. this is assuming weather conditions were favourable.

in my expeience, if you know where to look, it is fairly easy to find adders between late feb and early may around hibernation areas, then there is a period where they seem to disappear altogether (around about now). then in the summer you can see gravid females lying out in the same place every day even in warm conditions but are much more likely to find others under refugia such a corrugated tin.

as for the other questions about habitat etc, yes, areas that get plenty of sun but are also sheltered from the wind, well drained (although they only have to be slightly above water level) with rank vegetation nearby for cover. times of day will vary depending on the time of year and conditions. warm but overcast days are often better than sunny ones in summer but sunny days are better in spring and autumn. for more info on this try the guides provided here National Reptile Survey - Survey Pack .

good luck

tim

[FUDGEY]

It makes sense now, brilliant reply Tim thanks so much. Top man

[FUDGEY]

Top pics them, fantastic! I didn't realise theycould live that long in the wild, is this exceptional or pretty normal? Also when I find one I'm toying with the idea of getting a pic at eye level. How close do you reccomend I should go with safety in mind? If it's not a good idea is there any protective gloves I could use that an adder wouldn't penetrate through if it did strike? I'm sure I've heard before they have trouble penetrating through materials. I'm also guessing slow movemts are better?

[marvin]

hi again

adders can live for over 30 years in the wild although mortality rates are very high for the first three years... between 80 and 90% i think.

adders are mostly ambush predators so they actually have a relatively short striking distance. live view can help you get as close as possible but i would still be careful getting closer than a foot or so away. that should get you a decent pic though.

tim

[meinchewster]

Originally Posted by marvin

hi again

adders can live for over 30 years in the wild although mortality rates are very high for the first three years... between 80 and 90% i think.

adders are mostly ambush predators so they actually have a relatively short striking distance. live view can help you get as close as possible but i would still be careful getting closer than a foot or so away. that should get you a decent pic though.

tim

I know of atleast one adder site where disturbance from wildlife photographers has caused migrations away from the first class habitat into secondary habiat.

Not a personal dig at anyone but one has to wonder about the negative impacts on 'wildlife enthusiasts armed with cameras'.

[FUDGEY]

I suppose you can look it that we all have a negative impact in some way whether we are photographers or just observers. I can see where you are coming from though and my site has almost zero disturbance and it will be a case of a few quick pics and away never to return. Ty to all for the help

[meinchewster]

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

I suppose you can look it that we all have a negative impact in some way whether we are photographers or just observers. I can see where you are coming from though and my site has almost zero disturbance and it will be a case of a few quick pics and away never to return. Ty to all for the help

Indeed, minor disturbance is ok, the site I described sees photographers almost every day during the emergence period. One photographer in question has had pics on the cover of wildlife magazines! its when the getting pics at any cost attitude prevails that problems arise.

Good luck.