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MORE PUBLISHED PREDUDICE oN ADDERS: |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694  View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 ANOTHER Example of public ignorance of reptiles published in yesterdays East Anglian Daily times. this article could do damage to adders in the area.. this I will be sending a reply to Keith
LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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Matt Harris Senior Member Joined: 03 Jun 2003 No. of posts: 196  View other posts by Matt Harris |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 Apart from the obvious mistake with the photo, I don't see too much wrong with this in that they are not harmless;if you do get bitten, you should seek medical help immediately. Fair enough, someone should point out that you're very unlikely to get bitten in the normal course of events, but at the end of the day, it's just a letter from a member of public - not everone can be an expert! Gwent Amphibian and Reptile Group (GARG) |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 I tend to agree with Matt. The snippet seems to relate to an article where it stated adders are harmless... the last thing we need is an adder related death in the UK that would certainly end up with all sorts of bad press. Liz Routledge appears to be simply giving the same advice as is given on this site - if you get bit seek medical attention(RAUK wording supported by WW who is the expert after all!) Just a shame the piccy is of a smooth snake. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Wolfgang Wuster Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 326 View other posts by Wolfgang Wuster |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 It would be nice to see the original article to which this piece presumably refers. There is a tendency among conservationists to poo-pooh the adder's venomous capabilities. It is certainly true that you are very unlikely to get bitten unless you mess with them, and that you are unlikely to die if you do get bitten. However, it is a serious business, and a fair percentage of bitten people do have a pretty unpleasant time out of it, so a few reminders that they are dangerous may have been appropriate, depending on the tone of the original article. Cheers, Wolfgang Wolfgang Wüster School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor http://sbsweb.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/ |
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st rick Senior Member Joined: 26 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 141  View other posts by st rick |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 I would definitely get on to the EADT about the Smooth Snake pic - that's not doing anyone any favours! |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 I agree that was my first thought a ca but left that open yes the thread on any adders left in west Suffolk is what has the snippet is make your own minds .i think the statement of being harmless is if left alone ! exactly what I meant as in other wild creature get a mole with its teeth into you and i think you would come up with it as a dangerous beast try picking one up i would prefer holding an adder any day . keith LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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b armata Member Joined: 29 Aug 2007 No. of posts: 7 View other posts by b armata |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 WW beat me to it. People underestimate the effect, or at least potential seriousness of adderbite. I think in a recent case antivenom was used in the UK; this is quite a rare event for UK much more common in such as Sweden. And I will never forget that it was good old V.berus that nealy ended my life years ago in conjunction with a bit of bad clinical management.
No excuse for that photo though. |
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Wolfgang Wuster Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 326 View other posts by Wolfgang Wuster |
Posted: 04 Sep 2007 I would have to agree that the article posted in the Suffolk thread was reasonable - leave it alone and it's no threat is pretty much on the mark, without implying that it's harmless. Cheers, Wolfgang Wolfgang Wüster School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor http://sbsweb.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/ |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 05 Sep 2007 Gemma, good to see that you're back in the land of the living...... Was beginning to get a bit worried! R RobV |
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arvensis Senior Member Joined: 15 Mar 2006 No. of posts: 445 View other posts by arvensis |
Posted: 05 Sep 2007 Perhaps someone needs to write to the paper and to emphasise that whilst a Adder is not harmless, if they are left alone, they will leave us alone. Mark Hampshire Amphibian and Reptile Group. |
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armata Forum Specialist Joined: 05 Apr 2006 No. of posts: 928 View other posts by armata |
Posted: 06 Sep 2007 Just to say am back on line with me old login T 'I get my kicks on Route 62' |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 06 Sep 2007 Hi Tony looks like were all out ranked again nice to see a 5 star vet return keithLOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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AGILIS Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 694 View other posts by AGILIS |
Posted: 25 Sep 2007 HI ALL I replied to the local rag who published the error I pointed out on the use of a smooth snake as representitive of an adder, they published the letter but not my adder pic good job this article was not issued in the Southern England local news no doubt ther would be people out ther killing smooth snakes as dangerous beasts .LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 25 Sep 2007 [QUOTE=AGILIS] no doubt ther would be people out ther killing smooth snakes as dangerous beasts .[/QUOTE]
there already are mate, and don't forget , "i killed an enormous adder today. i knew it was an adder as it had a yellow v on it's neck" O-> O+> |
- MORE PUBLISHED PREDUDICE oN ADDERS |
THE REPORT IN THE LOCAL RAG I FIND A BIT NEGATIVE, NOT VERY MANY ADDERS STRIKE ON BEING STARTLED USUALY THEY TAKE OFF .AS FAR AS MY 50 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THEM HAS WITNESSED OVER THE YEARS THE ONLY TIME I HAVE HAD THEM STRIKE AT ME IS WHEN BEING CAPTURED OR TROD ON, NOT BEING STARTLED. YOU COULD SAY THAT ANY WILD ANIMAL IS DANGERIOUS. EVER PICKED UP A WILD MOLE - RABBIT OR WEASEL DONT THINK THEY WOULDNT HESITATE IN SINKING THEIR TEETH INTO YOU. BUT NOT MANY PEOPLE WRITE WITH SUCH ALARMIST VEIWS ABOUT THEM IN THE LOCAL RAG . MUST AGREE THE PHOTO THEY SENT TO THE PAPER IS A BIT OF A CAMDEN CREAURE ONE ? KEITH