Missing Adders

[Alex90]

I was hoping someone might be able to offer some explanation as to where my local adders have gone!

Until recently i could go down to my favourite spot (it spans around 60 acres) and see maybe 5-10 adders in a 2/3 hour outing, would be unusual to not see any.

However about a week ago sightings have stopped, i have not seen a single Adder since we had the heavy rain, we have had some wonderful sunshine here in the last 2 days but still nothing.

twice i have been up at the crack of dawn and spent the hours between 5:30 - 9 am searching for snakes with no sign what so ever.

Common lizards and slow worms on the other hand have been out in force and i have even seen the odd grass snake.

My only thought would be that they will be giving birth (not sure what the term is for viviparous reptiles) in a week or so onwards and maybe this could explain the disappearance.

It could be i have just had some exceedingly bad luck for the last week (which i have put in at least 15 hours) but to not see anything is just strange considering how easy i was finding it to see several snakes in an hour or so walk.

Can anyone offer an explanation or information that might explain what is going on! It could be something that happens everywhere that i am not aware of

Alex

[marvin]

Originally Posted by Alex90

My only thought would be that they will be giving birth (not sure what the term is for viviparous reptiles) in a week or so onwards and maybe this could explain the disappearance.

very likely. were they all gravid females you were seeing? they do retreat a week or so before giving birth. whatever the reason i doubt there is anything sinister going on.

i suspect you'll have a quiet week or so then start seeing neos, then start seeing males returning to their hibernation sites.

most common lizards will have given birth by now so there should be plenty of neos around as well as adults feeding up for the winter while gravid female slowworms are still likely to be out basking before they give birth in a fortnight or so.

cheers
tim

[Alex90]

I would have said about 50/50 males and females and vene then very few were obviously gravid.

there are far too many adders for something sinister, say human doing to have happened, some of the foliage is impenetrable.

Yes they are juvenile common lizards everywhere at the moment, but there have been far more adults out than usual recently.

Do Males disperse when females are giving birth? i wouldnt have thought so but may be wrong?

Cheers

Alex