Snakebites

[Rawhead]

Coastal paths in Pembroke and Galloway you get a lot of adders in spring just basking on the paths.
Biggest adder I've seen in the UK was on Walna Scar track some years ago, more like a grass snake in size!
I had a similar experience in Italy but those are asp vipers - like adders on steroids - you really don't want a bite off one!

[mr brightside]

One bit my usual running companion Floyd on the paw up in Borrowdale a few weeks ago. nearly killed the poor dog. Huge thanks to the marvellous vet in Keswick. Kevlar gaiters all round for the next Borrowdale Fell Race!

Poor old fella, i'm so glad he was alright. Good job you get some time with an Adder bite.

[Marvin]

scariest was on Har Tor on Dartmoor, climbing up a route I reached up to a ledge and grab a root yep it was an adder which fell to earth near my then sunbathing girl friend (now wife), Guess who had to cook that evening AND wash up!!

So what do adders taste like when cooked? A bit like chicken?

[Wheeze]

If you want the full, gory, unexpurgated first person experience of what its like to be bitten, go to this link: http://www.mdcwales.org.uk/Newslette...dcnewssept.pdf

[Full Moon Addict]

Kickes one into the air when I was running, years ago on chalk down in Dorset.
It landed about 3 foot away. I screamed , threw up and stood there shaking. Fortunately it slid away

Also nearly trod on a black snake in Italy- foot hovering above..... family said it was my fault for always being 5 metres ahead...

reminds me of an occasion in the aeolian islands near sicily. my pregnant wife and i were walking through very long grass in shorts and sandals. I was talking about snakes and need to look out for them when we saw a big black snake dart away really close by. needless to say we weren't too keen on the next bit of the walk where we had to wade through the grass.

i've seen a few adders. there's warnings about them near moor howe (troutbeck way) but I haven't actually seen any there.

[RichT]

If I've uploaded correctly, here's a sleepy Jura resident. We see at least one at close quarters during our annual pilgrimage. Interestingly, the Juracs refer to it as an adder sting rather than a bite. Don't know whether that's cos they're well 'ard or Jura adders have less venomous venom. Attachment 2396

Father-in-law (the infamous Dave Jones) was bitten on the leg in Mitredale a few years ago while running. He thought he'd banged his shin on a rock hidden in bracken. When his calf started to look like a football he went to see the Dr. The bite marks were clearly visible and the Dr at Barrow(?) hospital was quite excited by how wide apart they were - apparently quite a big one!

I think running, particularly in races, the foot pounding scares them away. It's usually when moving sedately that we see them. Saw lots on Ardnamurchan up in the crater - they eat the frogs in the ditches so when there are lots of frogs around there are probably lots of adders too.

[chubbyhubby]

I stumbled across a pair of adders this summer whilst out for an early morning run in Hamsterley Forest, County Durham. I was plodding along (as usual!) and just in time spotted two adders curled up on a rock in the sunshine, I missed they by two feet

I turned around to have a closer look but they both slid off back into the heather... phew!!!

This discovery had me in a mild panic, I spent the rest of the run hopping around like Bambi, making as much noise as I could and avoiding any big scrubs of heather... how other would have laughed!

Chubbyhubby

[Alf]

Years ago I was taking the kids round Blackgang Chine Park in the IOW and one "strolled" across the path in front of us. Kids got very excited as I started dragging them back out of range . Still got a video of it on an old VHS tape but the kids dont find it quite as exciting now

[Darth domain]

i had a close call once, years ago, i used to be a tree surgeon, we had a timber site in the countryside jsut outside wolverhampton. We were quite used to seeing grass snakes lying about in the sun on the logs etc I lifted a large log one day to put on the saw bench, little bloomin adder underneath didn't like it. On that occasion i was quick enough to get out of the way!!

[Podro]

We used to watch them as kids on the south downs. You had to be very quiet to get up close enough to see them because the slightest sound or movement and they would be off. They move very fast when disturbed. Best time to see them was early morning and in the springtime when they are a bit slower. We even managed to catch a small one one once and kept it in an old fish tank for a couple of days before releasing it. Bloody stupid with hindsight and an extra 40 years experience.