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Posts by Adam Long: |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17  View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 12 Feb 2007
Topic: Early emergence
Well done for getting out John, I was out in the Peak on the 2nd and 3rd -both very warm- and it did occur to me they might be out early as a result. Keen to see Adders and snow for myself, now I know its a possibility I'll make a bigger effort next time! |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 22 Mar 2005
Topic: Early adder sightings
Finally saw my first peak district adder on saturday, on my fifth (i think?) visit to the site. I think previous visits must have been too late in the year and day. Single individual basking near to recently felled birch. Not experienced to know sex yet, but made my day! Will head back on the next sunny morning to try for photos... |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 22 Mar 2005
Topic: Early adder sightings
Thanks for the tips - will be heading back soon! As for addiction, do you think five trips for one snake is a bad sign??? (though I did find a skin on my first trip which was great encouragement...) As for sexing, the only other time I've seen adders it was easy: 
(pic taken a couple of years back, at tremadoc in north wales, early May.) Are black adders common? |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 22 Mar 2005
Topic: Early adder sightings
Does the one in my pic count as 'fully melanic'?? If you haven't seen one, then for me that counts as being rare ;-) |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 23 Mar 2005
Topic: Early adder sightings
Thanks for all the tips... returned to the site today and saw three adders, all similar size and colour. I know this site is reputed to have far more females than males, so if they are males it would indicate a pretty good population! Got some pics too - a couple were very confiding, once they had got used to my presence: 
On the first pic you can just see a spider which was basking on the basking adder! ..which paid no attention. Would they eat invertebrates, or is it just an occasional mouse? |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 23 Mar 2005
Topic: Early adder sightings
Thanks Wolfgang, I took some slides too whuch I have high hopes for... I got the info about sex ratios from another thread on here... [quote]The reason why male adders in the Peak District (Derbyshire) have been never recorded dancing despite years of observation is believed to be because the male population at the only site in Derbyshire is out weighed by as many as 6:1 by females.[/quote] Expect to see the place crawling in females by september then! |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 24 Mar 2005
Topic: Early adder sightings
Will certainly keep an eye on the relative numbers. Although fires could occur in this area I doubt they occur regularly, and human pressures seem fairly low, so its hard to guess why. One idea I had, based on a decade or so of being out on the moors regularly - we often get sudden spring snowfalls/ cold snaps in March and April that take you by suprise. Snow will often lie for a few days despite the fact that the previous week it seemed very much that spring had arrived... I guess the males, having emerged first, could be more susceptible? Or would they just go back underground until it warmed up? |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 04 Apr 2005
Topic: Early adder sightings
Is there a good online resource for sexing adders? I'm thinking comparison pics etc would be a great help for us inexperienced types. If none exists, it would be great to create one at RAUK... In the Peak district, I've increased the count of adders at 'my' site to a mighty 4! A visit to a site Chris Monk pointed me at yielded 15 or so, including a big pile of at least five basking together. Most being dark grey/ green in colour, not sure about the sex, but one was a much lighter tawny colour - I'm guessing a female? Also spotted a common lizard at this site. |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 29 Apr 2005
Topic: Black adder site information needed
This picture of a black adder was taken in near Porthmadoc north Wales, so fairly local for you.
Couldn't tell you whether there is a high proportion of melanism here, but there is a very good population of potential predators - lots of Ravens, Buzzards, Carrion Crows etc. Habitat oak woodland on a steep slope, lots of exposed and rocks and scree. Let me know if it sounds useful and I'll pass on the details. |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 28 Nov 2005
Topic: Smooth Snake?
Hi All, I was in France last week and found this snake on a forest path. It was pretty cold and it was moving fairly slowly. Question is, it looks like a Smooth Snake to me, but not having any ID guides covering european species, I'm not sure - are there similar species? The site was just south of Paris, in the Forest of Fountainebleau.   |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 28 Nov 2005
Topic: Smooth Snake?
Thanks David! It was just such a similar southern species that i was worried about. Interesting about the hibernation, I was certainly surprised to see it out and about on such a cold day. I'm going back for new year, will keep an eye out for any more... |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 27 Mar 2006
Topic: Early adders?
Good to hear other reports from The Peak - some great photos too! I'm looking forward to getting over to that stream valley site again. I managed to get out to 'my' site on the evening of weds 22nd with good results. A count of 5 is rather modest compared to the others here, however it is an increase on my best day last year so a minor triumph. The snakes were also distributed over a larger area with a couple clearly recognisable from last year, and tending to dissapear into burrows rather than just into bracken. All fascinating stuff for a newbie... |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 21 Apr 2006
Topic: Snakes & mobile phones
One day last year I was on my belly eyeballing an adder at minimum focus when my phone rang in my pocket. Despite it being on vibrate and in contact with the ground the snake barely moved whilst I sat up and took the call. I guess some are more tolerant... |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 20 Apr 2007
Topic: Adders mating in Derbyshire
Great stuff John! Am I right in thinking this isn't often observed in Derbyshire? The female is very similar in colour to one I photographed a couple of years ago - stunning deep warm brown really setting off the red eyes. Just had a quick check though, not the same individual. |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 20 Apr 2007
Topic: Adders mating in Derbyshire
Now I remember - it wasn't mating as such but I read somewhere that the 'dance' had never been observed in derbyshire. Any truth in this? Sounds like I need to put some more time in anyway! Not sure why, but my adder hunts this year haven't been very successful - only saw any on one visit out of four so far. Not sure whether it has anything to do with the warm and very dry weather, or just that I haven't been trying hard enough! Have you noticed the same? Cheers, Adam |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 25 Apr 2008
Topic: Adder Pics 2008
A couple of pics from the Peak district, taken earlier this week.  Sometimes even I can sex them! No mating, but he was certainly interested...  |
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Adam Long Member Joined: 28 May 2004 No. of posts: 17 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 28 Jul 2010
Topic: Seen an interesting news item?
A fairly idiotic piece from the Hull Daily Mail: Family trapped indoors by poisonous adder living in their gardenDespite a grand total of two sightings, the family don't dare enter the garden. And 'brown and olive green' sounds more like a Grass Snake to me - but then Mr Leathley says 'I used to be a boy scout so I know what an adder looks like.'Anyone in the East Riding who could help out? |
- Posts by Adam Long |