RAUK - Archived Forum - Posts by Boris the Berus:

Hi

I'm new to this forum and am looking for some adder advice.  I've seen a few adders in my time, mostly by accident whilst out walking and I want to start learning more about them. 

Where do I start when trying to learn more about adders?

Are there any good publications out there?

Clubs?

Meetings?

Experienced herps that are willing to offer advice to a novice?

Thanks in advance.

P.S Great forum!  Love the photos you have uploaded.

Thanks

I'm South Central Dorset. 

Thanks for the information.

I've joined the BHS.

Registered with the Euroherp Database.

Ordered my copy of 'The Adder'

Charged the battery in my camera.

I'm now waiting for the rain to stop and the weather to warm up.

Thanks everyone.

Has anyone got any knowledge of likely adder spots on Portland (Dorset).

The last two I've seen were both during the month of September and were on paths basking in the afternoon.  Several friends of mine have seen a few during the summer months.

I've asked a few people on the Island and have a couple ideas as to where the dens are.

Is it possible that due to the wind and cooler air temperatures near the sea that the snakes don't start appearing until quite late.  I've not seen any so far this year.

I'd be grateful of any information/local knowledge.

I went out on Portland yesterday and only found a small slow worm.  

These two adders were seen 1 year apart.  The small brown one was seen in September 2006 and the larger green one was seen exactly one year later almost to the day. 

These adders were found 150 metres apart.  I've seen a lizard and loads of slow worms in the same area.

Sorry about the poor quality of the phone pictures.  I now take my camera everywhere now that I've started to actively search for reptiles.

Went out this afternoon looking for adders and found this little fella.

Still no adders.  Found these today and yesterday......

Portland this afternoon.......

I could only get a couple pictures of the adder because he heard me coming and was off like a shot.  Hopefully I'll have better luck next time!

Two hours ago.......

What are the tell tail (excuse the pun) signs to look for when trying to work out the sex of an adder?

In particular what gives it away in these photos?

Thanks in advance.

Some pictures of today's slow worms. (3rd April 2008)

4th April Portland.

There's a couple of spots I visit on a daily basis.

I regularly see slow worms and lizards in the same spots.  Only a couple of adders so far.

I'd be happy to show anyone interested and share information.

I'm very much a beginner at this herpetology thing.

20 minutes ago........

Yesterday I found over 20 in my compost heap under the black plastic. One tangle had 14 or so and the other 6 at least. I need to download the pix and count them!

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I'd love to see the pictures.

I must have seen about 20ish today even though there was frost on the ground.

what is the general habitat like?

tim

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It's a South facing bank, out of the wind on Portland.  There's scrub and bushes and these guys are always there.  They're always basking on these leaves which looks like a patch of ivy carpet about ankle deep.

This is one of the spots I visit daily.  I go there searching for adders.  So far I've seen one this year (see Portland thread in the adder forum for photo).  Regular visitors of this site report seeing adders there and I have spoken to a dog owner whos dog was bitten by an adder there last week.

In the surrounding area there's several sheets of tin and plywood which have always got slow worms underneath.

I've yet to go out and not find at least one reptile in this area.