Rare venomous black adder spotted in the UK
There are three snake species native to the UK, with the adder being the only venomous one.
Adders, which can grow up to 80cm in length, are recognisable due to their "distinctive" zig-zag pattern and "striking" red eyes and can be found across the country.
Usually they are "greyish" in colour, The Wildlife Trusts explains. However, Black (melanistic) forms are sometimes spotted in the UK.
A walker in Dartmoor experienced a "surreal" moment recently when he stumbled across a "rare" black adder.
Posting a picture on the Facebook page Dartmoor Public Group, the person said: "A surreal moment to stumble upon a gorgeous melanistic (black) adder this afternoon.
"These are rare, and this is only the second one I've ever seen, but most people have probably not encountered an adder of this colour shade before... so I am lucky to have now seen two up to this date."
Adders are the only venomous snake species native to the UK. (Image: Getty Images)
An adder bite can be "painful" and cause inflammation, BBC Countryfile explains.
The wildlife experts added: "But [it] is really only dangerous to the very young, ill or old."
Other symptoms of an adder bite can include:
Adders are described as being "very shy" and in most cases they will hide when they hear people approaching.
BBC Countryfile said: "They tend to bite only when stepped on, or if panicked at close range."
RECOMMENDED READING:
How to tell the difference between adders, grass snakes and smooth snakes?
Where to find snakes in the UK including the venomous Adder and rare Smooth Snake
The 'adaptable' snake that is the UK's longest and can swim underwater
'Shy and incredibly scarce' snake that is rarest in the UK and where to find it
While not typically life-threatening, there have been 55 fatalities attributed to adder bites in the UK since 1722, according to the Surrey Amphibian and Reptile Group.
The most recent death from an adder bite was recorded in June 1975 in Trussachs, Perthshire (Scotland).
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South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- South Wales Guardian
Rare venomous black adder spotted in the UK
There are three snake species native to the UK, with the adder being the only venomous one. Adders, which can grow up to 80cm in length, are recognisable due to their "distinctive" zig-zag pattern and "striking" red eyes and can be found across the country. Usually they are "greyish" in colour, The Wildlife Trusts explains. However, Black (melanistic) forms are sometimes spotted in the UK. A walker in Dartmoor experienced a "surreal" moment recently when he stumbled across a "rare" black adder. Posting a picture on the Facebook page Dartmoor Public Group, the person said: "A surreal moment to stumble upon a gorgeous melanistic (black) adder this afternoon. "These are rare, and this is only the second one I've ever seen, but most people have probably not encountered an adder of this colour shade before... so I am lucky to have now seen two up to this date." Adders are the only venomous snake species native to the UK. (Image: Getty Images) An adder bite can be "painful" and cause inflammation, BBC Countryfile explains. The wildlife experts added: "But [it] is really only dangerous to the very young, ill or old." Other symptoms of an adder bite can include: Adders are described as being "very shy" and in most cases they will hide when they hear people approaching. BBC Countryfile said: "They tend to bite only when stepped on, or if panicked at close range." RECOMMENDED READING: How to tell the difference between adders, grass snakes and smooth snakes? Where to find snakes in the UK including the venomous Adder and rare Smooth Snake The 'adaptable' snake that is the UK's longest and can swim underwater 'Shy and incredibly scarce' snake that is rarest in the UK and where to find it While not typically life-threatening, there have been 55 fatalities attributed to adder bites in the UK since 1722, according to the Surrey Amphibian and Reptile Group. The most recent death from an adder bite was recorded in June 1975 in Trussachs, Perthshire (Scotland).
South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Rare venomous black adder spotted in the UK
There are three snake species native to the UK, with the adder being the only venomous one. Adders, which can grow up to 80cm in length, are recognisable due to their "distinctive" zig-zag pattern and "striking" red eyes and can be found across the country. Usually they are "greyish" in colour, The Wildlife Trusts explains. However, Black (melanistic) forms are sometimes spotted in the UK. Native wild animals in the UK 'Rare' black adder spotted in the UK A walker in Dartmoor experienced a "surreal" moment recently when he stumbled across a "rare" black adder. Posting a picture on the Facebook page Dartmoor Public Group, the person said: "A surreal moment to stumble upon a gorgeous melanistic (black) adder this afternoon. "These are rare, and this is only the second one I've ever seen, but most people have probably not encountered an adder of this colour shade before... so I am lucky to have now seen two up to this date." Adders are the only venomous snake species native to the UK. (Image: Getty Images) Are adders dangerous? An adder bite can be "painful" and cause inflammation, BBC Countryfile explains. The wildlife experts added: "But [it] is really only dangerous to the very young, ill or old." Other symptoms of an adder bite can include: Bruising Tingling Nausea Vomiting Adders are described as being "very shy" and in most cases they will hide when they hear people approaching. BBC Countryfile said: "They tend to bite only when stepped on, or if panicked at close range." RECOMMENDED READING: How many people have died from adder bites in the UK? While not typically life-threatening, there have been 55 fatalities attributed to adder bites in the UK since 1722, according to the Surrey Amphibian and Reptile Group. The most recent death from an adder bite was recorded in June 1975 in Trussachs, Perthshire (Scotland).
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Wales Online
Man catches huge rare shark off Welsh beach
Man catches huge rare shark off Welsh beach The shark is a very rare find but its discovery might be a sign of something more troubling Alex with his majestic catch (Image: Alex Mcglynn/The Hooky 2 ) A massive shark weighing around 40lbs was pulled off the Welsh coast in a rare and unexpected find. Local angler Alex Mcglynn caught the tope shark in Swansea Bay and said he'd never seen one in the area in his 20 years of fishing. Alex, a biology graduate form University of South Wales with a focus on marine biology, has been fishing ever since he was introduced to the hobby as child by his father. He said: 'So I've been fishing for years, since I was like five years old, my father got me into it. "I worked in a tackle shop in Swansea for a number of years as well. I'm online, and I'm big in the social Facebook groups, and I heard on the grapevine that somebody said that they caught a tope off of Swansea Bay, which is really rare. So, we went down there with that target in mind to try and catch one, and obviously we were successful.' The tope shark is incredibly hard to catch on sandy beaches (Image: Alex Mcglynn/The Hooky 2 ) Apart from just being rare, the tope shark is also listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List and is a Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here He said: 'They're a vulnerable species in general, but tope numbers are increasing. They are generally a deep water shark, so you catch them off the boats, that sort of thing.' Article continues below Though tope sharks are a rare find close to the shore, west Wales is among some of the places where it is a little easier to find the marine animals. 'If you were to catch them of the shore, your best bet is generally off west Wales, where you've got deep water in close, off rock marks down there,' Alex said. 'It is rare to catch some off sandy beaches in shallower water. "What we've got in Swansea is such big tides. You've got the advantage that you can walk out at low tide, cast out into the deep water and as the tide comes in, your bait's in deeper and deeper water. So that's sort of the advantage of why you can get the bait so far out in Swansea Bay.' Alex believes that there are several reasons why the fish might have made their way into the Swansea beach. 'It's definitely a combination of factors. Obviously, waters are warming up, climate change and the increased water temperatures are going to bring more shark activities, not just tope sharks but in general,' he explained. 'In the south coast of Cornwall, they're getting pelagic species [fish that live in the open ocean] such as tuna coming in close as well. 'Off the coast of west Wales you're getting lots of blue sharks coming in, or beagle sharks. So shark numbers in general are increasing." Overfishing of prey fish could also be reason for sharks to close to the shore, according to Alex. 'Another thing is that a primary food source for a tope shark would be mackerel which are becoming overfished,' Alex said. 'So you are getting a decline in those numbers of their primary food source. 'So tope may be coming into coastal waters in search for alternative food sources. You get a lot of juvenile bass that they might be feeding on, or blackfish.' This, Alex says, can also have a negative impact on the overall biodiversity of waters. 'If you look at biodiversity, the increased tope shark could mean there'd be less of other species in a sense, because they feed on pretty much anything. They will eat crabs, crustaceans, small juvenile fish. It does have an effect on the the fish stocks.' However, he does not believe that these sharks would pose any risk to humans. 'In terms of like a threat to swimmers or anything like that, I can't imagine there being any issues on that side of things. I don't think there were any cases of tope sharks ever attacking any people, so there's definitely no danger of people going swimming in Swansea Bay.' As the shark had to be released soon after its capture Alex could not weigh it properly, but he estimates it to be around 40lbs or more. His catch, filmed for his YouTube channel YouTube channel, 'The Hooky 2' has generated significant interest, being one of his fastest growing videos, but he urged people to be aware of the proper 'catch and release' methods before getting into the hobby. 'I want to promote fishing as much as possible. It's a great sport, something I'm really passionate about,' he said. 'But you just want to make sure that it's done properly just for the safety of the angler and obviously the fish as well. When you're actually landing the fish, make sure they're not taken out of the water for a long time. I've actually got the video of me landing the shark. "Admittedly I'm quite excited at the time catching the shark because it is a really rare catch. However, I try to make sure that I keep those principles as well. So I always keep the fish in the water, just taking it up briefly for photos." He added: 'Make sure it recovers its strength before you release it. In terms of fishing tackle, make sure you've got strong enough fishing tackle. So, strong enough rods, strong enough line. At the minimum, I'm using a 25lb line. Article continues below 'I'm also using a wire bite trace, they will bite through any normal fishing line, so you've got to use a wire-bite trace, just so you don't have any sharks with hooks left in their mouths. 'I would recommend barbless hooks as well if possible, just to make sure that it comes out easily. And then obviously using the appropriate sort of appliance to remove the hook. If it is the case where a shark does swallow a hook, the best thing to do is not try and pull it out, just cut the line and the hooks will rust away eventually anyway.'
