The European Adder is a venomous species of snake that can be found throughout much of Europe. Their range extends as far as Eastern Asia while they can also be found as far North as places like Sweden and Russia.
They can also be found in Great Britain, making them the only venomous snake that can be found in the UK. They are also known as the European Viper. They can also be referred to as the Common European Adder or the Common European Viper.
The venom that this snake produces is not considered as toxic as many other species of Viper such as the Gaboon Viper. However, over 10% of cases still result in hospitalisation in some regions.
Taxonomy
The European Adder belongs to the Viperidae family of snakes. This essentially means that they are a Viper. Other popular families of snake include Elapids, Pythons and Boas.
Some of the other species in this family include the Eyelash Viper, the Fer De Lance, the Gaboon Viper and the Horned Adder.
They belong to the subfamily Viperinae which are regarded as the ‘True Vipers’ or ‘Pitless Vipers’. This subfamily is endemic to Europe, Asia and Africa and contains 13 genera of snakes.
They can be characterised by their lack of heat sensing pits while the closely related sub family of Pit Vipers (Crotalinae) have heat sensing pits.
Some of the other genera in the subfamily Viperinae include the Puff Adders, the Night Adders and the Saw-Scaled Adders.
The genus that the European Viper belongs to is called Vipera. They are referred to as the Palearctic Vipers and can be found throughout most of Europe and parts of Northern Africa. Their range extends across Northern Asia, as far as North Korea.
There are currently 21 recognised species in the Vipera genus. Some of the more common species that belong to this genus include the Caucasus Viper and the Meadow Viper.
It is taught that the name Vipera is derived from the Latin words ‘Vivus’ and ‘Pario’, which mean ‘alive’ and ‘bear’. This is a reference to the fact that most species if Viper bear live young as opposed to laying eggs.
The scientific name for the European Adder is Vipera berus. There are currently 3 recognised subspecies of European Viper. The nominate species, Vipera berus berus can be found throughout most of Europe and Northern Asia.
The Balkan Cross Adder, or Vipera berus bosniensis can be found on the Balkan Peninsula. The countries that make up this Peninsula include, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Greece and a number of other countries.
The Balkan Cross Adder is particularly common in the Herzegovina region of Bosnia, hence their scientific name, Vipera berus bosniensis.
The final subspecies of European Adder is known as the Sakhalin Island adder or Vipera berus sachalinensis. As its name suggests, this subspecies is native to Sakhalin Island. This is an Island off the East Coast of Russia.
They can also be found in the Eastern regions of mainland Russia as well as in parts of Northern China and North Korea.
European Adder Description
The European Adder is a relatively small species of Viper that typically only grows to around 2 feet in length. However, they can grow as large as 3 feet and this seems to be most common in the Scandinavian countries.
They are a relatively heavy bodied species and have a large head that is distinct from its neck. This is a common feature of many species of Viper. They have large nostrils on the sides of their head, towards the front.
They have large eyes and heavily keeled scales. They usually have a dark Zig-Zag type pattern on their dorsal which runs the length of their body.
However, this pattern can vary and can even be missing entirely. This is particularly the case for melanistic specimens, as they are too dark to see any kind of patterning.
The European Adder can vary greatly in color but they are usually grey or reddish brown. However, they can also be black, white, cream or pale yellow in color.
They typically have a distinct V-Shaped pattern on the back of their head. This can sometimes look more like an ‘X’ than a ‘V’ and can sometimes be missing entirely.
Another common feature in these snakes is a dark band that runs from the eye towards the back of their neck. This is somewhat similar to the band markings on a Boa Constrictor.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The European Adder has a very large distribution and can be found throughout much of Europe and Northern Asia. They can be found further North than many species of reptiles.
They can be found throughout much of mainland Europe, in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Northern Greece and parts of France. They are also present in many other surrounding countries.
They share a very small portion of their range with the Jewelled Lacerta in parts of Southern France and North-Western Italy.
The European Adder is not native to Spain or Portugal. Their range also doesn’t extend into Southern Greece or the Greek Isles. They are also not believed to live in Turkey.
This snake can be found in the Northern parts of Europe also. They can be found in Sweden, Finland and Norway and are also native to the UK. This makes them the only venomous snake in the UK. They are not found in Ireland.
Their range spans the length of Russia and they are found as far East as the Russian Pacific Coast as well as on Sakhalin Island and North Korea.
Their range also extends through Southern Russia and into Mongolia and parts of Northern China.
The European Adder can thrive in a wide range of environments which is evident by their vast geographical distribution. They can be found in Rocky Hillsides, Meadows, Wooded Areas and on the outskirts of Forests.
They can be found in Hedges, Moorland or Bush Slopes and on Coastal Dunes. They can also be found around humans in places such as Agricultural Land, Dumps and Stone Quarries.
European Adder Venom
The Venom that the European Adder produces is not considered to be as toxic as many other species of Viper. However, over 10% of cases still result in hospitalisation in some regions.
Fatalities are rare in victims but they have occurred. Children are more vulnerable due to their size. The elderly and people with health conditions may also be at risk if they were to be bitten by a European Viper.
Bites are very common with this species as humans come into contact with them on a regular basis. Most bites occur during the warmer summer months as this snake hibernates during the cold winter months.
There are a number of different types of Antivenom that work to threat a European Adder bite. According to reports, Sweden documents over 1000 bites every year from these snakes.
Studies have shown that the venom is far less toxic than many other species of Venomous Snakes. A study by Minton (1974), showed that the European Adder needed to inject 20-40 times more venom than a Russell’s Viper did in order to kill a Guinea Pig.
A bite from a European Viper will result in extensive pain. The area around the bite will usually begin to swell and bite victims usually report a tingling sensation. Bruising is another common symptom and the swelling and bruising can extend throughout the limb that was bitten.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, sweating, fever and dizziness are other common symptoms. Cardiovascular failure can occur in the most extreme cases.
