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Juvenile adder diet |
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axel
Member Joined: 16 May 2006 Status: Offline Points: 31 |
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Yes, we found a couple of lizards during surveys, but I certainly don't think there is a particularly large population. There are also grass snakes, frogs, toads and palmate newts within the grounds. No slow worms or adders though. Sticking with the adder thread... All the adder populations I have visited have lizards present. Most of my herping is around Anglesey, North Wales, and I have also noticed that sites with adders typically have a low density of lizards. Sites where adders are absent or declining seem to be teeming with lizards, so there certainly would appear to be some sort of correlation. |
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dave fixx
Senior Member Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 411 |
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the site I see most adders in in north wales has a huge supply of lizards ,you find lizards not even looking for them,there is also a huge population of toads at this location and frogs,as you can see from a picture adamanteus sent in this summer on another thread whatever they are eating there they are enjoying it.
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Dave Williams
davewilliamsphotography.co.uk |
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Vicar
Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1184 |
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Only an anecdotal comment...
One particular adder site here in Surrey comprises two forest rides. Presumably the adders use the woodland and margins to hunt, but are forced onto the rides in order to bask. There is also a fair number of common lizards along these rides. The adders are almost exclusively found at ground level, whilst the lizards make more use of the third dimension, climbing high, through the heather borders more than is usual at other sites. Uncommon to see a ground basking lizard at this site, although it does happen. |
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Vicar
Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1184 |
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Interesting historical text from the Isle of Wight:
HISTORY OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT. By the Rev. RICHARD WARNER; 1795 Many vipers indeed are met with in the chalky and ftony places, and the largeft I ever faw, I had nearly trodden upon, in the parifh of Wootton, in the outfldrts of Coombly wood, in Auguft, 1792. Had my foot, however, come in contact with this animal, no injury could have cnfued to me from the preffure, as it was utterly incapable of revenging the infult. This incapacity had been produced by its voracioufnefs, as was evident on an examination of the reptile. We then found that it had attempted to gorge a frog, (at leail three times as large in circumference as the thickeft part of its own body,) but being unable to accomplifh the tafk entirely, one of the legs and thighs of its prey continued to depend from the viper's mouth, and effectually prevented it from clofing the jaws and excluding its poifon. The animal indeed (as is the cafe with all the ferpent kind after fatisfying their voracity,) was in a ftate of torpor, which rendered it apparently infenfible of our approach or obfervation, and unable to exprefs any tokens of indignation when we deftroyed it. On meafuring it when dead, it was found to be exaclly twenty-nine inches long. |
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Alan Hyde
Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1437 |
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Hi Steve,
That's a great read. However, are you sure the author is correct? Maybe Toyah Wilcoxth or Chriff Eubank? I reckons he foundeth a graff snaketh ferpent Edited by Alan Hyde |
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O-> O+>
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Vicar
Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1184 |
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Hi Al,
Hard to tell how accurate the ID was. Nothing descriptive was stated that definitely secures the ID. AT 29 inches (74cm) it is within recorded adder size range (top end), and he does state that it was the largest specimen he had seen. But then we don't know how many Grass snakes he'd seen either! Modern records confirm Vb presence at the site, but no Nn records in the immediate vicinity (>2Km radius)...so maybe an OK ID? He then goes on at length describing the effects of the venom and cures...apparently salad oil, some warmed and applied to the wound, and drinking the rest does the job! :P |
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Alan Hyde
Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1437 |
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Hi Steve,
It does indeed sound like it may have been a correct id then , nice big adder Great remedy for adder bite ! |
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O-> O+>
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AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
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Bygad eftsoon a most venomouse serpent layeft on the path chewing upon the devils spawn putting fear into fair maidens harlots and all , more likly a large sloworm in the wrong place at the wrong time lolkeith
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LOCAL ICYNICAL CELTIC ECO WARRIOR AND FAILED DRUID
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tim hamlett
Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1062 |
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hi sorry for resurrecting an old thread but there's still one bit of it i want to be absolutely clear about. can neos survive their first hibernation without feeding? cheers tim |
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Jonathan
Senior Member Joined: 08 Sep 2009 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 71 |
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They are pretty well nourished when born. I would have thought that it would depend on the length of time between birth and the time they went into hibernation. The longer the period, the less chance. The neos I've observed are pretty active hunters that tackle a range of prey and sizes of prey too. Their chances of survival would increase dramatically the more they eat before hibernation for sure.
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"England Expects"
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