Somewhere on teh intarwebs "shazzbat" typed:
Snip

Interesting, thanks Rusty. When I was young I was just told to watch
out for adders as they were venomous and could kill. When I was 11
we moved to New Zealand and there are no snakes here so I guess I
didn't spend enough time in England to find out more for myself.

They are venomous, and *can* kill, but bites are rare, and deaths are
extremely rare. A girl of about 10 was bitten in Bournemouth earlier
this year when she trod on one, and her leg swelled up and turned
black, but I believe she made a full recovery.

I think that's why I remember them as venomous. I used to walk along side a
railway track to school and apparently they'd sun themselves in the area
(not that I ever saw one) so we were warned.

Here -

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...Picture001.jpg

is the one I saw at the back of Sainsbury's Ferndown, last year.

That is one beautiful animal. Thanks.
--
Shaun.

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