First adder of 2012?

Just wanted to report that the first adder has been spotted this year in Northumberland! sadly a healthy female adder which was found dead with not a mark on it in early/mid January.

I would of suggested that it may be a result of the relatively mild temperatures we have been experiencing. Perhaps this female may have been caught off guard with the recent cold snap[?]. Although this begs the question why wasn't this a male; given that they tend to emerge first. Any comments made in terms of the circumstances by which this female was discovered?

Do we know the recorder? Very common for male animals leaving hibernation pre-moult to be identified as females. I would expect we have had a couple of days already this year in Essex where males might have shown for a short while, but a female in the NE?

After reading the reports of much to early sightings of lizards in January I think I would take them home and keep them until the weather is right, but I have seen commons basking in the sun with snow surrounding the bracken in march ,years ago I found a near frozen grass snake alive on a frosty late Novembers day being a teenager I let it go no doubt to its death,so now its keep every thing at home until the season is up and running.keith

Edited by AGILIS - 19 Jan 2012 at 6:25pm

Interestingly bat hibernation counts in the mines were well down this December (in the county) suggesting that not all the bats had left their summer or transitional residences at this time. However, It is not unusual for bats to be found in buildings throughout the year, in fact it is pretty common. Moreover excessive noise and/or body heat disturbance will tend to rouse a bat from torpor making it appear awake (not a good scenario if you are a bat). Brown Long-eared bats, for example, (which are notorious for extended periods of stay in their summer roosts) will happily sit out the winter months within the ridge tile void where temperatures range widely.