(c) Dr Chris Gleed-Owen - Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (www.arc-trust.org)
Vipera berus .Adder - male basking in gorse
The Adder is our only venomous snake. Despite this it is no real threat as it is by nature very shy. This is a fairly typical male showing the black markings on a pale background. Often the background is almost white resulting in an extremely handsome animal. This animal is a little unusual; preferred basking spots tend to be on the ground albeit very close to dense vegetation.