WILDLIFE
Slithering Away
Adders may feature in our folklore, but they could become extinct across much of Britain if we don’t do more to protect them. Here, the author of a book on these vanishing vipers explains the problem
by NICHOLAS MILTON
NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY
'It is the bright day that brings forth the adder. And that craves wary walking,’ wrote William Shakespeare in Julius Caesar. However, if he were alive today, the Bard would no longer have to be wary, as the adder has disappeared from his home county of Warwickshire – as well as from much of its former range across Britain.
The adder, or Vipera berus to give the species its full Latin name, has always had a unique place among our wildlife. When it comes to mysticism, myth and legend, there is no animal in Britain to rival it. With its zigzag stripe, red eye, elliptical pupil, forked tongue and fearsome fangs, the adder has been central to our culture from the time of the Bible. But it faces a bleak future and could disappear from much of Britain in our lifetime. Throughout history we have persecuted the adder as we mistakenly feel threatened by it. In fact, it is a shy and secretive creature that is no threat to us if left alone.