|
|
the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles |
|
Venomous Snake Warning |
Post Reply 
|
Page <123 |
| Author | |
Chris Monk 
Senior Member 
Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 282 |
 Post Options
 Thanks(0)
 Quote Reply
 Posted: 28 May 2012 at 11:25pm |
|
Unfortunately some local papers are even taking this article up and a local one here has even claimed the warning is due to "a rise in reports of sightings of adders — especially in South Derbyshire."
http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Increase-in-adder-sightings-leads-to-summer-warning-25052012.htm This is very interesting news to us because: a) There are no adders in South Derbyshire and certainly no rise in the reports of adders. There is only one location definitely known now for adders in the National Forest and it's nowhere near South Derbyshire b) For whatever reason the HPA issued the warning, best known to themselves, it wasn't based on increased sightings or even increased numbers of queries about adder bites. I did lend Amy from OPAL an adder slough for showing at the Live 'n' Deadly roadshow at the National Forest Conkers Centre last year. Perhaps it was possessed by the ghost of an angry adder and bit the children at the event or perhaps it became re-animated and is now roaming South Derbyshire terrifying the local population! |
|
|
Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
|
 |
|
|
sussexecology
Senior Member
Joined: 30 Sep 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 411 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 29 May 2012 at 12:18am |
Other things you can die from: - heat exhaustion/sun burn - lack of sleep - if like me you are up at this hour because it is too damn hot - ......or in the case where you are sleeping in a tent on a heathland where adders are known to be present and therefore likelihood of a bite in the middle of the night. But thankfully i am not sleeping in a tent on a heathland tonight - falls out of bed - bitten by an snake which is not native in this country: sorry had to add that one in because that is the mood i am in at the moment, and is extreme must admit you will have to excuse my sense of humour tonight  .I blame the weather - it is too damn hot tonight Happy dreams people.... I'm going back to bed as seriously need some sleep..... Regards SE Reptile Ecologist |
|
|
|
|
GemmaJF
Admin Group 
Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 29 May 2012 at 12:25am |
|
Just the sort of knee jerk nonsense one would expect after the HPA 'warning' Chris.
It really does seem at the moment that adder are not having much luck. I almost feel the next news I'll hear is there is some government plan to totally eradicate adder from the UK.
|
|
|
|
|
sussexecology
Senior Member
Joined: 30 Sep 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 411 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 29 May 2012 at 12:48am |
Any negative story about adders will bring out the newspaper articles. And the journalists seem to revel in these sorts of things. I don't think it is helping the adders in the long run because there is a fear of adders (and snakes in general) in the view of the general public. So many people who ask me what i do for a living and i say "reptile ecologist " immediately refer to adders and how dangerous they are, and how they hate them etc etc. To be fair, I only know one person who has been bitten - and twice! And he was ok, and besides adders aren't really going to bite you are they....... Anyone remember the press coverage about the fox attacking people in their beds at night? Never heard anything so stuipid and daft. And the HPA warning - that is just bonkers. Still up as it is too hot..... Regards SE Reptile Ecologist |
|
|
|
|
GemmaJF
Admin Group
Joined: 25 Jan 2003 Location: Essex Status: Offline Points: 4359 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 29 May 2012 at 11:11am |
|
Keith's started a thread on the topic SE. I've been tagged twice also and had absolutely no ill effects.
Adder bites normally though are certainly unpleasant and to be avoided. We don't need scaremongering though, a simple message to wear sensible footwear when out and about in the countryside and keeping dogs on leads would have done. Also of course a timely reminder that adder are a protected species. I am all for the public being warned about the risk of adder bite, god only knows that we don't need is a death in the UK due to one. However the HPA should have been aware of the likely public response to using language such as 'attacks'. I've been around adder a long long time, they never attack you, all bites are purely defensive from their point of view. The only things that need to fear being attacked by adders are lizards, voles and shrews!
Edited by GemmaJF - 29 May 2012 at 11:23am |
|
|
|
|
Iowarth
Admin Group
Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Status: Offline Points: 743 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Quote Reply
Posted: 29 May 2012 at 10:52pm |
|
It sometimes appears, at least so far as the media are concerned that we are indeed reverting to Victorian values - as in the oft-quoted saying from that era "This animal is dangerous - it defends itself when attacked"!
|
|
|
Chris Davis, Site Administrator
Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED) |
|
|
|
|
Post Reply
|
Page <123 |
Tweet
|
| Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
Topic Options
Chris d wrote: