FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
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Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
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The adder (Vipera berus) is a venomous snake in the family of vipers. Both young and adult adders can be identified by their zig-zag patterns, spots on the skin, and red eyes. Generally, male adders are silvery-gray in color and females are reddish dark brown. They are carnivores who feed on rats, mice, frogs, lizards, newts, and other small mammals. There are different varieties of adders such as the common adder, death adder, puff adder, and mountain adder. Their size varies by region but an adder typically grows up to 24-35 in (61-89 cm). The common habitats of adders are grassland, moorland, woodland, and heathland. Adder snakes can be found across the Eurasian landmass. This species is generally non-aggressive and tends to bite only when alarmed. Adder snakes are the only known venomous species of snakes in Great Britain and they use their venom to immobilize their prey. In the United Kingdom, adders can be found from the south coast to Scotland, however these snakes are not in Ireland.
You'll find in this article more adder snake facts and information about the black adder native place, viper skin pattern, the common name for an adder (Vipera berus), and what small mammals young male adders feed on.
You can also check out our fact files on the puff adder and common death adder from Kidadl.
An adder is species of snake that belongs to the family of vipers also known as Vipera berus. They are mostly found in the Arctic circle and across Eurasia.
An adder belongs to the class of reptiles known as Reptilia which means they are a variety of snakes.
There are many species of adders in the world. A few of them are endangered but many are not. There is no record of the total number of adder snakes in the world.
Adders live in woods, wetlands, and deserts. They prefer places with good hiding spots or places where they can camouflage.
The common habitats of adders are woodlands, moorlands, heathlands, and grasslands. They are shy snakes and prefer places where they can hide which also makes it easier for them to prey.
Adders generally live on their own and mind their own business unless it’s their mating season. During reproduction, the male adder follows the scent of the female. After mating, they stay together for up to two days. During reproduction, male adders sometimes pick a fight with another male when challenged. This fight lasts until one of them is beaten or tired. Other than this period, adders tend to be alone.
On average, adders can live in their natural habitat for between 10-15 years.
Female adders commonly reproduce once every two years. This might extend to once every three years if the climatic conditions are not favorable or if the seasons are short. Some subspecies of adders are known to reproduce once a year as well. The male tracks the scent of females. If there is a competition between males for mating, both males will try to chase each other away or enter into combat resulting in the ‘adder dance’. The male that manages to push the other one down or the last one standing wins the combat and gets to mate. The winning male and female mate and stay together for a couple of days. Young adders are hatched within the female and are generally 5.5-9.1 in (14-23.1 cm) in length including their tail.
The conservation status of adders is Vulnerable. In the United Kingdom, adders are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. They are also protected under Priority Species under the UK post-2010 biodiversity framework.
The body of adder snakes is usually thick. Adults grow up to 24-35 in (61-89 cm) in length which can vary by region. They have a fairly large head and the sides are flat. From above, the rostral scale is barely visible with two small scales behind them. Their eyes are red, relatively large in males and smaller in females. There are often 21 rows of strongly keeled dorsal scales on their midbody. They have different color patterns, often dark brown being the dominant one. The most common pattern is the zig-zag patterns that cover the entire length of their body. They also have a distinct V or X-shaped mark on their head.
Its cuteness depends on how you look at it. Some might find the red eyes, split tongue, dark-colored scales, and the V shape on its head to be cute, while some other might find it a bit frightening. It’s totally up to you to decide.
Like other snakes, adders also communicate using scents, vibration, and sensitive structures. They understand chemical cues present in their surroundings using their sense of smell and taste. Adders also use a chemical known as pheromones to communicate. They leave and collect pheromones in their surroundings which helps them understand the gender and condition of reproduction of other young and adult adders around them.
A full-grown adder snake will be about eight to 10 times bigger than an average frog in your backyard. An adder is roughly about 3.2 ft (1 m) in length.
The average speed of movement is about 2 mph (3.2 kph), which is slower than your average walking speed. Although they might move faster when alarmed or triggered.
An average adult European adder weighs about 0.11-0.39 lb (0.05-0.17 kg). They are rarely found over 0.62 lb (0.28 kg).
There are no separate names for the male and female species of adders, although their appearance is varied. Females are more reddish-brown and males are generally found in silvery gray.
Neonates or hatchlings are common names for young adders, which is also the same name for the offspring of other snake species.
Adder snakes eat small mammals, rats, mice, ground birds, newts, lizards, and frogs.
Yes, adders are poisonous snakes.
As it falls under the range of venomous snakes, a European adder won’t make a good pet. Also considering their shy nature, they are best left in the wild.
The name ‘adder’ is a historical mispronunciation of the Old English word ‘nadder’, meaning 'serpent'.
Adder eggs hatch within the female body.
Adders can deliver venom deep into the tissues of their victims.
There are about 18 subspecies of adders that fall under viper adder. However, the only species with the common name, adder, is the Vipera berus. They are native to different places across the world, mostly in Eurasia. The subspecies include the desert death adder, death adder, long-nosed adder, horned adder, mud adder, many horned adder, mountain adder, nightingale adder, Namaqua dwarf, common adder, puff adder, Peringuey’s adder, African puff adder, sand adder, Rhombic night adder, dwarf sand adder, water adder, and Namib dwarf sand adder.
Though adders fall under the category of venomous snakes, not all adders are dangerous to humans.
Adder snakes use their venom to immobilize small mammals. They spend most of their days swallowing their prey or drying themselves in the sun. Adders have one of the most detailed venom delivery mechanisms. They have the potential to deliver venom deep into their prey’s tissues, making them extremely effective. Though their venom has enough poison to kill a human, there are only a few cases of deaths reported due to adder bites. This is a similar story when it comes to dogs. It is very rare that an adder snake bite kills a dog. This could be because of their shy nature. Adders tend to hide from humans and other domestic animals. Almost all cases of adder bites on humans are reported when they were held or cornered.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Burmese python facts and king cobra facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Adder coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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