Snake in the grass .. or at least on the patio

Anyone of a nervous disposition should be warned before they scroll down!

My neighbours called me around today to inspect an interloper in their garden. It has been on their patio for the past few mornings, basking in the early morning sun. It turned out to be an adder. This is the first time we have seen one in our vicinity – we have seen them on the chart and along Tanhouse Road, and friends have told us over the years of unwelcome visitors in Orchard Way and Rockfield Close. But we have never heard of one in a garden on the village green. It was really only a few feet away from the footpath that leads up to Aggies and the station.

An adder - if you can even bear to look
Photo credit Mike Richardson and SarahWinch

But have we just been unobservant? Last year, when digging a border, we found what looked like snake eggs. We checked on the internet to confirm our suspicions, but the internet world was divided on this issue. Some declared them to be snake eggs, others that they were fungi, although all agreed that they could not be adder eggs as this snake apparently gives birth to live young.  Although probably some form of developing puff fungus, they were all damaged in digging the border, which now appears to be somewhat fortuitous...

Fungi or snakes eggs?
Photo courtesy of Calendula and Concrete

We are not sure why the snake has appeared now. It is possible that it lives in the copse at the top of Meldrum Close, relying on the pond there for water and feeding on the local mice. However, the pond is currently dry and so perhaps the adder ventured out in search of water. I don’t know a lot about snakes and so I don’t really know. While we are happy to welcome some wildlife into the garden, there are limits, and snakes are definitely well beyond the acceptable (particularly since they are one of life's few instinctive fears).  Unfortunately, it does appear that killing or interfering with an adder is illegal as they are now protected and so removal does pose a potential problem.

Hopefully, this adder was a one-off; however, it is worth being cautious if you live in this vicinity!