Adder Snake

A female and a male adder snake are very different and easy to tell apart- the female snake is a good 5 inches longer and has dark brown patches on her light grey scales. Other than this the snakes looks are alike- the same zig-zag pattern running down the whole body and ending in a v on the head. Like most vipers, the adder is short tailed and has a thin body. It hunts lizards, mice, and occasionally other snakes by smell.

 The adder is a northern snake- it has even been found in the Arctic Circle! It is found commonly in Europe and Siberia. It is often found living in rocks or on sunny hills. The snake hibernates whenever the temperature drops below 45 degrees. In some far north regions, the adder hibernates for 3/4 of the year. Not that this interrupts the life of the adder very much- they don't need much food to survive, and only reproduce once in every two years.

The adder is ovoviviparous- which means it lays its eggs and they hatch soon after. When the young snakes are born, they are independent, but will stick close to their mother for about a month for protection. 10-15 young are born at a time. Females grow to be about 25 inches long, while males grow to be 20 inches.