HIGHLAND NEWS (Inverness, UK) 11 May 06 Saving the adders
Snakes alive! A plea has gone out to discover more about one of Scotland's rarest creatures.
But it's very much a case of do not disturb, as the consequences could be pretty painful.
The national reptile charity, the Herpetological Conservation Trust, is calling for help from the public to gather information on Britain's only venomous snake.
The "Add an Adder" project is an online survey aimed at helping to understand how the muchmaligned reptile is faring in the wild.
Although the adder is found across Britain, it is very rare in some areas and many experts feel that it could be in serious decline.
The adder - nathair in Gaelic - is a shy and secretive species, susceptible to disturbance and changes to its local habitat. In many areas where it previously occurred it is now less common, and in some areas it is at risk of extinction.
BBC Wildlife presenter and naturalist Nick Baker, who is supporting the project, feels differently and says: "Fantastic project, cracking animal.
Adders are as much entitled to protection and conservation efforts as any of the more charismatic fauna and flora we share our island with.
"Not being the most extrovert of creatures, the presence of adders is one that is probably stronger in folk-lore and local legend than in real life. Even in places where I know them to be fortunately fairly common, stories at the bar are as close as most get or want to get to this beauty of a beast."
Love them or loathe them, the adder has earned a place in culture and folklore, but its poor public image means many have little sympathy for adder conservation.
Dr Chris Gleed-Owen from HCT comments:
"There is a wealth of knowledge about adders out there. Whether people can tell us about recent sightings or distant memories, stories from grandparents or from friends, we want to know about them. People should not be put off if their recollections are a little hazy; we are keen to collect all information possible and have designed the survey to allow for this."
To get involved with the Add an Adder project log on to www. adder. org. uk.
The information collected will allow the trust to map where adders are now and where they used to be in the past, to help build a picture of how their situation has changed over time.
Nick Baker added: "Anyone can collect information and research the presence of adders local to you, it is in fact something you can do at school as a class project or even while propping up the bar in your local.
"Not many conservation projects can be carried out like that!"
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