After news broke of the terrible effects one dog in Ulverston suffered from an adder bite as its owner looked on in horror, people around the country are being encouraged to be on the lookout for the snakes.

Adders are common in the New Forest and the Cranborne Chase, with confirmed sightings in the area of Cranborne in April and the area of the Martin Down National Nature Reserve in May.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) explains on its website that the adder is the UK’s only venomous species. Members of the species have a “distinctive zigzag pattern down their back, red eyes and a vertical pupil.” It can grow to “around 70cm.”

Map reveals snake sightings around Salisbury area

In 2023, there was a grass snake sighting to the west of Salisbury near Farley, and another grass snake near Woodfalls.

There was also an adder spotted near West Wellow. 

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For humans, adder bites becoming fatal are a very rare phenomenon. The Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) published on its website in 2020: “Human fatalities are exceptionally rare in Great Britain. There have been 14 recorded human deaths from adder bite since 1876, the last being in 1975.”

Patrick Campbell, senior curator of reptiles at the Natural History Museum, said in an article on the museum's website in 2018: “There have been a few incidents over the years, but for those who are in good health, you're not going to die from a bite. It will hurt and swell for a few days and you may have feelings of nausea and dizziness. Some who may be less fortunate may suffer an allergic reaction, but it generally isn't going to kill you.

“Children, the infirm and the elderly are most at risk.”