First Adder of 2020

Callophrys

Callophrys

Messages
305
Name
Dave
Edit My Images
Yes
It's that time of year when I go looking for venomous snakes! I've only seen one so far, in one of my two reliable spots, as the decent weather hasn't coincided with my days off work.
He was in a reasonably open spot, but still lots of vegetation in the fore- and background. It can't be helped though, and I avoid disturbing them as much as possible, so I just have to take what I find.

Adder (Vipera berus) by Dave O'Brien, on Flickr

Adder (Vipera berus) by Dave O'Brien, on Flickr

Adder (Vipera berus) by Dave O'Brien, on Flickr

Cheers,

Dave
 
I am always envious of seeing such nice Adder photos , I know where to find them locally but never seem to have success . I am glad you mention you avoid disturbing them as much as poss it`s a credit to you . An Adder expert told me disturbance at the early stages of emergence can cause fatalities , I hope people take note of this . I tend now to hold off looking till it warms up more but still fail to find them . Oddly they always look so much bigger in photos to what they really are .
 
Number 3 does it for me- lovely shot

Les :)
 
Thanks all!

Lepus, I always take great care to disturb them as little as possible, although occasionally they will bask right next to the footpath and I won't see them until it's too late and they're already disappearing into the undergrowth.
They look larger because they're quite stocky, but they will also flatten their bodies while basking to maximise the surface area. This makes them look really wide-bodied, and bigger than they are.

Dave
 
As I said it`s a credit to you that you have that approach Dave , I wish I could get my eye in for them , have been shown them once or twice but never found them on my own . I think all Adder photos make them look bigger than they are , it was not a criticism in any way . I was shocked how small they actually are .
 
Lepus said:
I think all Adder photos make them look bigger than they are , it was not a criticism in any way .
Click to expand...

Don't worry, I didn't take this as criticism at all!

They can be quite difficult to spot initially, until you get your eye in as you say. The bold pattern does a very good job of breaking up their outline, and if they're in or around bracken litter they're very well camouflaged. As well as making them look larger, photos also make them stand out from their background more than they actually do.

Cheers,

Dave
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top