Is this an adder?

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   First off, apologies for this not being strictly UK related, but I couldn't find an equivalent French forum. 

I have a holiday home in Brittany, NW France. While over there in the Easter break, we came across this handsome fellow sunning itself in our back garden: (

It was a about a foot long, and seemed quite annoyed at our presence. After allowing me to take its picture, off it disapeared into a hole in the outside kitchen wall. 

Is this an adder? The zig-zag markings and the V-shape on the head look like those on the id page. 

Is this snake endangered in France?

My youngest is an 18 month old boy who loves to run around in the garden. His most likely reaction to coming across a snake would be to eat it, with undesirable results for both. Am I worrying unduly? Can I do anything to discourage (but not harm) them from the garden (the snake that is, not the boy)?

Finally, this was my first encounter with a snake in the wild, and I found it absolutely fascinating. You don't come across this sort of thing here in a London suburb!

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lsmithso Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Member Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1	Post Options Post Reply Quote lsmithso Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Is this an adder? Posted: 28 Apr 2003 at 9:27pm
	First off, apologies for this not being strictly UK related, but I couldn't find an equivalent French forum. I have a holiday home in Brittany, NW France. While over there in the Easter break, we came across this handsome fellow sunning itself in our back garden: ( It was a about a foot long, and seemed quite annoyed at our presence. After allowing me to take its picture, off it disapeared into a hole in the outside kitchen wall. Is this an adder? The zig-zag markings and the V-shape on the head look like those on the id page. Is this snake endangered in France? My youngest is an 18 month old boy who loves to run around in the garden. His most likely reaction to coming across a snake would be to eat it, with undesirable results for both. Am I worrying unduly? Can I do anything to discourage (but not harm) them from the garden (the snake that is, not the boy)? Finally, this was my first encounter with a snake in the wild, and I found it absolutely fascinating. You don't come across this sort of thing here in a London suburb!

test Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Member Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Status: Offline Points: 1	Post Options Post Reply Quote test Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 28 Apr 2003 at 10:14pm
	Hi, Yes this is an Adder. To discourage them from the garden, keep any grass short, remove hiding places such as rocks and stone piles and do not let dense vegetation grow up. Alternatively encourage them into one area that can be fenced off by providing these features. From the photograph the snake looks cornered, this is when they will display aggression, when they see no obvious escape route. I am sure other forum members will have further advice to add. Adders are now extremely rare in London, but not entirely absent.