If you’re heading to Scotland you might be wondering if there are any snakes in Scotland in the countryside. You would be right, there is one species of snake present in Scotland, the Adder – Vipera berus. Yes, the Scottish Adder is venomous, but despite living in Scotland all my life I have only seen an Adder around 3 times! It’s more than likely they will move away from you before you even know one is near!
This reptile species is the only venomous snake native to Scotland it can get a lot of attention for being dangerous. However, adders are not aggressive snakes and will only bite as a last resort when threatened.
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Where Do Adders Live?
Adders are found in most habitats throughout the UK, with particular preference for their preferred habitat of open woodland, moorland and heathland. It’s a native reptile to the UK and a large area of Europe too. You may come across them in open countryside basking in the sun on a warm day or on a rock in the long grass. Each Adder that I have personally spotted has been in upland heathland. With habitat loss in the UK adders ranges can be much reduced. It’s important to conditioned to preserve their native suitable habitats to prevent them from becoming a garden pest and using places such as a garden compost heaps.
From October to March Adders hibernate. They tend to choose dry sheltered spots such as old rodent burrows or within decayed tree trunks. The most likely time to see Adders is in March when they emerge from hibernation in warmer weather and warm themselves in sunny spots.
It’s in the early Spring that you may be lucky enough to see the males ‘dancing’. They writhe around together fighting the competition to mate with a female. Females give birth to between 3-20 live young adders in August or September.
How Do you Identify An Adder?
An Adder is easy to identify, especially as it’s the only native Scottish snake! They are stocky snakes with a grey colour and dark distinct zig-zag pattern along the back. They also have red eyes. Males tend to be a pale grey in colour and female adders are more likely to be reddish brown in colour.
There are also the occasional black adder, which is the melanistic form of our native species.
How Do Adders Protect Themselves?
An Adders defence is its venom, it is a poisonous snake. An adder bites only if it feels threatened, which can be because someone is too close to it or tries to touch it. Most the time they will move away to hide in the undergrowth if a person of dog gets close.
Adders use their venom to immobilise and kill small prey items such as ground nesting birds (including the meadow pipit), lizards and small mammals. They would never try to eat larger animals!
What To do If You See An Adder
If you see an adder in the wild, the best thing to do is to keep your distance. Stand still and they should move away from you. If the Adder does not move then take a few steps back and give the snake plenty of space as you go round them. The chances are that the Adder will slither away into the undergrowth as soon as it sees you.
If you can take a GPS coordinate of where you spotted the Adder (along with a photo if possible!) submit this to the National Amphibian and Reptile Recording Scheme. It’s important to understand whether reptiles distributions are decreasing or increasing.
What To Do If Bitten By An Adder
It is unlikely that an Adder would bite a human, snake bites in the UK are very rare, unless someone either stands on the snake or tries to pick it up. If you keep your distance then they won’t harm you. There is little danger from bites by British snakes.
However, if you are bitten by an adder then you should seek immediate medical attention. The venom is unlikely to kill a healthy adult, but it is of more danger to the young, old or ill. However, it will be a nasty bite and symptoms include severe pain, inflammation, dizziness, sickness and shock. There is the possibility that adder venom can cause an allergic reaction a bit like a bee sting for some people.
It is more likely that a dog could be bitten by an Adder. If this happens to your dog then take it to the vets straight away for help.
Are There Other Snakes In the UK?
The Adder is Scotland’s only native snake and it the only venomous native British snake. Although there have also been a few sightings of Grass Snakes in Scotland these are probably escaped pets and there’s no evidence of any breeding populations of Grass Snakes in Scotland.
Some people mistake Slow Worms, Anguis fragilis, as a snake. However it’s actually a type of legless lizard! They are also found throughout Scotland and I’ve seen them a few more times than Adders!
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