Animals & Tracks
The adder - better than its reputation
If there is one animal that gives many people a start, it is the adder. The adder is one of Norway's three snakes (the other two being the grass snake and the smooth snake). It still differs…
Created: May 30, 2022 9:59 AM
Vipera berus
Size: 60 - 70 cm long
If there is one animal that gives many people a start, it is the adder. The adder is one of Norway’s three snakes (the other two being the grass snake and the smooth snake). It still differs from the others in that it is the only one with venom in its bite! The venom is made to paralyse prey in the form of mice and other small rodents, which are the adder’s prey. The adder, like other reptiles, is cold-blooded. That means its body temperature is always the same as its surroundings. It therefore depends on warm temperatures in order to function. You can see this when out on a trip in spring, where you may come across the adder basking in the spring sun after a long winter in hibernation! If you see the adder lying like this, it is a good opportunity to study it!
A great many people are terrified of the adder, which is perhaps not so strange when you consider the painful bite it can give if you are really unlucky. Fortunately the adder does not hunt people, and it will do its utmost to get away from us. Biting is the adder’s last defence - and you have to all but tread on the adder for it to happen!
What if you are bitten?
If you should be really unlucky and be bitten by an adder, you should ideally keep the bitten body part raised and still. As a rule you only get a painful swelling around the bite, and it is usually not dangerous to people (even though it hurts!) - but some can react to the venom. You should therefore contact a doctor as soon as you can to be on the safe side!
Other snakes
In Norway there are two other snake species. The grass snake and the smooth snake. Many people also think of the slow worm as a snake, but this is a legless lizard! None of these are venomous, and so they are not something we need to think about.
Next steps
- Wildlife and tracks — the hub
- Life-saving first aid — in the event of a bite
- Small rodents — the adder’s main prey
- Spiders — other small creatures on a trip
Learn more
- Artsdatabanken — species, status, Red List
- Miljødirektoratet — large carnivores — management
- NINA — Norsk institutt for naturforskning — research on Norwegian fauna
- Naturveilederen — Bjørn Henrik Stavdal Johansen — nature interpretation