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The UK’s only indigenous venomous snake, the adder, is (luckily) a seldom-seen creature, especially near London. Now, though, people have been freaked out with notices appearing on Hounslow Heath warning visitors of adders in the area.
The adder (Vipera berus) is extremely rare in the UK. According to UK Wildlife Trusts, ‘The adder is a relatively small, stocky snake that prefers woodland, heathland and moorland habitats. It hunts lizards and small mammals, as well as ground-nesting birds. Adders hibernate from October, emerging in the first warm days of March, which is the easiest time of year to find them basking on a log or under a warm rock.’
Some terrified Reddit users had a much less ‘Countryfile’ reaction:
‘I didn’t need to know this,’ said Inevitable_Lab_5014. ‘Thanks, now I will have nightmares,’ said Gilgameshimg. However, others commented on how fascinating they found the idea of a native poisonous snake. ‘I saw a grass snake in the wild in Hertfordshire once. It was incredible. I wish we looked after British reptiles more and they were more visible as part of our environment. Beautiful animals,’ opined nialltg.
Another user, though, had a cautionary tale for Londoners: ‘I got bit[ten] by an adder when I was 12,’ said Elipticalwheel1. ‘Nearly killed me. Got rushed to Guy’s Hospital, while they got the anti-venom from London Zoo. Was in a really bad way. Spent two weeks in Guy’s recovering.’
The last serious London adder incident occurred in 2017, when a 27-year-old father of two was bitten on Hounslow Heath and went into anaphylactic shock, with his heart rate dropping to just four beats a minute. So do take adders seriously.
If you are REALLY petrified of them, though, you’ll be glad to hear that they aren’t found on the Isles of Scilly, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or in Northern Ireland. So you can always consider moving.
Check out these stunning portraits of Londoners with their pets.