Froglife

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What our animals are doing this month…

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This month we’re talking about one of our native reptile species. Adults are usually 60-80cm in length and have a stocky body. Females are generally a light brown with dark brown markings, whilst males are generally grey with black markings. This species has a zigzag pattern down the centre of the back and a ‘V’ or ‘X’ shaped marking on their head. Have you guessed what it is yet? Yes, it is the Adder!  

This fascinating species is the UK’s only venomous snake, and they are found throughout the UK, even in the far north of Scotland – although they are not found in Ireland. You might struggle to spot Adders due to their camouflaged markings; they can certainly go unnoticed.

Adders emerge from hibernation in March/April and then mating will take place in April/May. The male Adder is territorial and to compete for females, males will often ‘dance’ a duel!

In March as they emerge, they will be hungry so have to start hunting for food. Adders are mostly active in the day, and this is when hunting takes place. They will hunt small mammals, amphibians, insects and even birds. The Adder will kill its prey with its venomous bite and then swallow the prey whole!

What our animals are doing this month….

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May is an excellent time of year to look out for our native legless lizard, the slow-worm. Breeding takes place in May and this can be a dramatic process to witness. Not only do males compete aggressively over mates, but during courtship they will grasp the female roughly by the neck, and mating can then last for up to 10 hours! Courtship is easily mistaken for fighting, so being able to tell males and females apart can be helpful. Male slow-worms are grey or brown all over, and some have bright blue spots along the back. Females are usually brown on top with dark sides and belly, and a dark line down the back.

Slow-worms are a common garden species and the perfect gardener’s friend, as they love to eat garden pests such as slugs. They are particularly fond of compost heaps and warm hiding places such as log piles or under tin roofing, so these are good places to look for them. Despite their snake-like appearance, slow-worms can be distinguished from snakes by their shiny appearance, bullet-shaped heads, and blinking abilities (snakes lack eyelids!)

 

A pair of courting slow-worms (Photo: Lin Wenlock)

What our animals are doing this month….

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Adders emerge from brumation in March and April and begin breeding shortly after. Rival males compete for females by performing a dance-like duel where they rise up and wrestle each other to the ground. Although this is an aggressive behaviour between two males, it can look very elegant and is sometimes mistaken for a courtship ritual.

Females incubate eggs internally and ‘give birth’ to live young. They will sometimes mate with multiple males in a breeding season, and some years will not breed at all if conditions are not right.

Adders are venomous, but their bites are rare and generally not serious. They are shy and will only bite as a last resort if threatened. Saying that, adder bites are most common at this time of year. This is because they can be particularly sluggish as they emerge from brumation, and if they are approached by a person or animal and unable to escape quickly enough, they may resort to biting. This can be avoided, however, if we don’t try to approach or handle them.

Male adders are grey or silver along their sides, unlike females which are brown (Photo: Matt Wilson).

 

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