Adders

Adders

The Adder was originally called the Nadder but the ‘N’ got dropped. Britain’s only venomous snake is the only snake to be found at Rannoch. We are privileged. If you see a snake you will know it is an adder even if you don’t see the diamond pattern down the back. Adders would like to use their venom for killing the small mammals and birds that they feed on and are reluctant to waste it on humans or dogs and so if you retreat so will they. Adders are most easily seen on warm sunny days when they may choose to soak up the heat in an open area. The males emerge from hibernation first in spring and need to get warm (up to 25 degrees centigrade) in order to search for a female. The males are territorial and can be seen in what looks like a twisting dance but is actually a form of intertwined fighting.

Beinn a Chuallaich is a good place to encounter them but Trinafour, Moulin a Vardie, Dùn Coillich and Braes of Foss are also places where I have seen them or know that they have been seen.

In the days of Rannoch School (the one at Dall) a pupil foolishly picked up an added and was bitten. Ian Wilkinson took him to Perth Royal Infirmary which is quite a long way in itself but when they got there they were told there was no serum and so they would have to continue to Ninewells in Dundee. The boy was beginning to panic a little with the time delay but fortunately he, being young, fit and someone given to weight training, he was fine. Adder bites are almost never fatal but small children and dogs are more at risk. The venom is delivered through fangs which are both hollow and hinged. This allows the venom to be injected deep into the flesh.

Adders are ovoviviparous which means that they give birth to live young. This is achieved by having the eggs hatch inside the mother-to-be snake and then the tiny snakes are delivered live and unencumbered by eggs. It is this fact that allows the adder to cope with lower temperatures than the grass snake and therefore to be present throughout Scotland but not on the Scottish islands except Jura, Mull and Arran. Their global distribution is right across Europe and Asia.