The warm spells of sunshine at the end of last week brought out some of our Adder population on Skipwith
Common – with a total of six different individuals recorded on the heath. This
is the most we have recorded before in one day. It was pleasing to see so many,
including two of last year’s young, along with two adult males and two adult
females. All the snakes were found amongst the bracken and heather, soaking up
the sun’s rays, along with several Common Lizards.
Picture below is one of yesterday’s individuals showing
the cloudy eye, which means it won’t be long before it will shed its skin.
Prior to shedding, the skin of a snake becomes duller and its eye will change
and become cloudy or opaque, which is caused by a milky fluid which the snakes
secrete between the old skin and new skin. Snakes shed their skin in one long
piece, which we occasionally find left on the heath. If you are fortunate enough
to come across a sighting of an Adder or Grass Snake then please watch from a
distance, and leave your record in the log book provided.
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