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What is an adder snake?
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The adder is the UK's only venomous snake, but it's incredibly shy of people. Discover its little known mating rituals, unusual facts, folklore and more.
The adder is a relatively small, stocky snake that prefers woodland, heathland and moorland habitats. It hunts lizards and small mammals, as well as ground-nesting birds, such as skylark and meadow pipit.
The specific name, berus, is Neo-Latin and was at one time used to refer to a snake, possibly the grass snake, Natrix natrix. [7] The common adder is found in different terrains, habitat complexity being essential for different aspects of its behaviour.
- Where does the adder’s name come from? The snake’s common name is the result of a historical pronunciation error. The old English “nadder” became “adder” by the same route that “a napron” became “an apron”.
- Do adders lay eggs? Like other members of the viper family, adders are ovoviviparous – the eggs hatch within the mother and the young are born live. Indeed, the name ‘viper’ is derived from the Latin for ‘live birth.’
- Are adders aggressive? These are very timid snakes that bite only in self-defence during attempted capture or handling or if actually stepped on. A Scottish National Heritage survey found that over 50 per cent of adder bites were to the hand, compared with 38 per cent to the feet.
- How do adders deliver their venom? Like their close relatives, the rattlesnakes, adders have the most sophisticated venom delivery systems of all snakes.
Mar 30, 2016 · Adder is a word derived from an Old English term meaning serpent, and it can refer to several types of snakes, including some species that are only distantly related.
- Jessie Szalay
Apr 19, 2023 · Adders are Britain’s only venomous snakes, but they are very unlikely to kill you. To put it into context, in England and Wales, only one death from adder bite was recorded from 1950-72 compared to 61 deaths from bee or wasp stings.
Adders are relatively small, stocky snakes which prefer woodland, heathland and moorland habitat. They are grey or reddish brown, with a darker and very distinct zig-zag pattern down their backs. Rarer black forms are also sometimes spotted.
