Urgent warning over increased sightings of UK's most venomous snake

Metro

02-05-2025

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Rising number of hikers have escaped close shaves with the UK's only venomous snake in the last few days.
An increase in sightings of the Common European viper, also known as an Adder snake, has prompted new warnings about the danger they pose, in particular to pets.
New footage emerged yesterday of the poisonous reptile slithering around the on a mountain in Wales on Wednesday morning.
Hiker Lorraine Flower spotted the large adder while out walking on the Blorenge mountain, in Monmouthshire, Wales.
Just two days earlier, South Wales Police said they had seen a rise in Adder sightings and urged dog walkers to keep their pets on a lead.
The snake also gave beachgoers a jump scare in Anglesey last month.
On Adder fell onto rocks and began swimming at Porth Wen near Llanbadrig on the Anglesey coast.
'I was just standing on the beach when I saw it fall down from the undergrowth overhanging a small cliff,' Lewis Perrin Williams, a hiker, said.
'That's how it ended up on the beach – I think he might've been a bit sleepy. I found a plank and took him back up to the undergrowth.'
The snakes have not only been seen in Wales.
Susan Roux saw an adder slithering in tall grass near St Ives in Cornwall earlier this week.
Adders are the UK's only venomous snake in the UK, often found in basking in woodland glades and on heathlands.
They can live up to 15 years and measure up to 80 cm in length.
The Wildlife Trusts said: 'The Adder is the UK's only venomous snake but its venom is generally of little danger to humans.
'An adder bite can be painful and cause a inflammation, but is really only dangerous to the very young, ill or old.
'If bitten, medical attention should be sought immediately.
'Adders are secretive animals and prefer to slither off into the undergrowth rather than confront and bite humans and domestic animals – most attacks happen when they are trodden on or picked up.
'Instead, they use their venom to immobilise and kill their prey of small mammals, nestlings and lizards.'
South Wales Police issued fresh guidance to dog walkers after the spate of Adder sightings.
The force said a number of Adders had been seen in Port Eynon near Worm's Head in Gower, Wales.
They told people: 'Please do the right thing and keep your dogs on leads at all times.
'Adders are the only venomous snakes in the UK and are generally active from early spring to October when they aren't hibernating. More Trending
'They often live in sand dunes, hillsides, moors and woodlands and are more likely to bite dogs between April and July, especially in the late afternoon.
'If you suspect an Adder has bitten your dog, immediately check for two small puncture marks, swelling or redness in the area – these are common signs of adder bites.
'It is important to keep your dog calm and still to prevent the venom spreading and seek veterinary advice ASAP.'
Most dogs can survive Adder bites, but in rarer cases can cause severe illness and death.
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