Thanks for the great information Libertine, that cleared some things up.

It's reassuring to know that most places can get antivenin quickly, even if it is extremely unlikely to get bitten. It is important that people know that just because adders can be dangerous, there is no need to panic and try and kill it if you do see it in your garden, just make sure any dogs and children are kept inside until it is gone.

Several years ago I was walking with three friends on the Kirkby Moor Nature Reserve near Woodhall Spa, a reserve known for its adders. I was walking with one of my friends at the back, the other two were walking side-by-side around fifteen yards ahead, when both my friend and I stopped because we'd spotted laying curled up in the centre of the path, three yards ahead, an adder sunning itself. The other two, being totally engrossed in conversation as they were, had walked right over it without seeing it, and it being fast asleep had been totally unaware of them. Needless to say, both my friend and I took a respectful detour off the path to pass it.

Did you tell your friends they had done that or leave them blissfully unaware how close they had come to a nasty bite? I'm surprised the adder didn't hear you coming, but in the summer when they are out in the path they can get very lethargic, even though as reptiles you would expect them to be more aware in the warm weather.

I told them as a warning to take more care when walking around nature reserves. As for why it was unaware and remained unaware of us puzzled me also, but the conclusion I came to, and I could be very wrong on this as I'm not an expert on snakes, was that as snakes can't hear airborne sound it couldn't hear the conversation, and because the path's surface consisted of very fine, springy, closely mown (by Rabbits) turf, it didn't feel the footsteps.

It definately would have heard the footsteps. You're right they can't hear airborne sounds - though recent studies show they may be able to hear certain frequencies - but their ability to pick up vibration is phenomenal. I think it's the Sidewinder which can pick up a mouses footsteps from over 100 ft away in the desert sand. A puff adder can detect where a mouse has run simply by detecting the odour particles it's foot leaves when running. To make sure, it can even sense the heat it left which is a great acute awareness!

The Saw-Scaled viper is the fastest striker in the world. From launching its strike, unhinging its fangs, injecting venom, releasing it's venom and then returning to coil position - how long? 1/3 of a second. Its strike range is about 2-3 feet. The reflex speed is incomprehensible.

A black mamba can move at 7mph over long-distance. At short bursts, up to 14mph! Some say even 18mph or 20mph! Faster than most humans can sprint. On top of that, it's traveling with the first 3-4 feet of it's body off the ground! Two drops of its venom is enough to kill you.

I just can't stress how a snake is the most complete predator. Sea Snakes tend to be highly aggressive and are highly venomous. No different to the ones on land. So by land and sea, they're a threat - that's not all though...

In Malaysia, the Hunting Snake isn't one you're like to see. A lizard sees it in a tree, and jumps to safety to another tree. What does the snake do? It coils and springs out of a tree, flattening it's body and glides like the British Airways at Heathrow last month, and can steer itself mid-air.

Amazing animals!

Snakes are a lot more aggressive when warm:

Unfortunately, pet shops use this to their advantage. With the larger shops that stock a lot of animals who don't get handled, they will obviously be a lot more aggressive when picked up than those which have been tamed. The trick pet shops tend to use is that they have their heat source cooler than it should be. As a result, the snake is a lot more docile and tame. When the smiling customer thinks she had bought a lovely handleable snake, takes him home, and sets him up properly in his new vivarium, imagine the shock of her life when he's bought back to the right temperatures and it's not the same snake they saw in the shop. He's hissing, striking through the glass, and musking and such.

Some amazing information there! Hearing a mouses footstep a hundred ft away, the poor mouse has no chance! We are so lucky we don't have any really dangerous snakes in the UK, I wouldn't want to be walking through the woods and come across a snake that can outrun me and kill me with a few drops of venom! Adders are dangerous enough thanks very much!

I don't think I'll ever be buying a pet snake but if I do thanks for the tip, I will pass it on too.

I remember watching a program about the Black Mamba a few years back and I think if there was one snake I wouldn't want to come across it was that. As The Libertine said it can outrun most humans, kill you in one bite and I even remember them finding one up a tree, so there really is no escape if it wants to get you. Just make sure you get to a hospital in time and tell them what it was!

Anyway this is slightly off topic from UK snakes (although every interesting) so to bring it back round, are grass snakes known to bite?

Hello
As far as grass snakes go,they rarely bite people unless provoked and the bite is harmless.
I know someone who got bitten by a slow worm. No serious damage but he did say it was painful and it really clamped onto his finger.

Grass snakes are able to bite but it is very rare and completely harmless, in fact when threatened the grass snake will initially puff up its body and hiss loudly, they do occasionally strike and sometimes repeatedly but they tend to always keep their mouths closed. If contact is then made or they are picked up they will struggle violently and can discharge a foul smelling liquid from their anal gland. If all the bravado makes no difference to their situation or if they haven’t been picked up but still feel threatened, they will roll around on the ground, eventually turning onto their back and pretend to be dead; they even open their mouth and hang their tongue out to make it look real.

David

What a performance! Have you ever seen a grass snake do this? It is very rare for grass snakes to bite, you would have to really force it into a corner for it to try as it isn't much of a defence mechanism. I never knew about the smell it could release though.

I was bitten by a grass snake about 10 years ago, when I lifted a survey tin. The first thing that goes through your head is "am I sure that this is a grass snake?" It didn't really hurt but it certainly made me jump!

I know now that if bitten by a non-venomous snake it is best not to pull away as it is easy to damage the snake's teeth

As for the foul smelling substance that a grass snake produces, all I can say is that you get used to the smell and it doesn't wash off very well.

Why do grass snakes make that foul smell? is it to fend off any predators or something like that?

absolutely - makes those snake sandwiches a bit less appealing....

Well If I met a Black mamba I am done for I cannot run very well so that means it's got me!!
We held a whip snake in Cyprus & although I am not that keen on snakes it was a lovely thing to hold & fascinating to boot.

That would be the first thought to cross my mind too. They really should put warnings if there are biting animals inside survey tins though!