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Saw this snake at Lulworth Cove this morning. I know it's not an adder, so is it a smooth snake or a grass snake?

It looks like a female Adder to me David.

All the best, Nick.

I'd say that very much was an adder, David! Nice zig-zag down the back...

Dave

Cheers, fellas.

I guess you're right given the patterning, though in my mind I had adders down as much darker (almost black).

Take your pick
Vince

David M wrote:I had adders down as much darker

You've been watching too much of the TV series with Rowan Atkinson

as Vince shows, Adders come in a wide range of shades, including almost black melanistic forms.

Mike

You're probably right, Mike. Subliminal imprinting and all that...

Must say, Vince, that's a stupendous image of those three adders. You could be forgiven for thinking they were 3 different species. I particularly like the one in between; it's beautifully marked.

I went down to that site for Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary. It was a bit cloudy so they weren't flying, so I gingerly checked the corrugated iron sheeting scattered around the reserve. A quick peek of under this one revealed three adders, so I quickly put it down again. I switched on the camera, then lifted the sheet and took a quick shot with one hand and put the sheet down again. Then retired to a respectful distance..............

I have never found three adders together since.

Vince

That's a great photo Vince. It reminds me of a similar incident last year when I found about 5 slow worms together, all intertwined and all different metallic colours (bronze, silver, platinum) like a complex piece of designer jewellery