Common Adders Are Venomous but Shy Snakes

by Yizuo Pan, age 10

The common adder is a snake with zig-zag patterns on their scales. While male common adders have brown scales, females have lighter-colored scales. Common adders can be found in parts of Europe, China, and the shores of the North Pacific.

Common adders have a chubby body shape. Each scale on the common adder's body has a central ridge running along it. Adder species have a pair of hollow fangs inside their mouths. The adder grows replacement fangs throughout its life.

This creature weighs about two kilograms and can grow up to 90 centimeters. They typically start having babies when they are three years old and it takes about three to four months until their offspring hatch. The eggs stay inside the female’s body until they hatch. The adder can give birth to around ten babies at a time. Most commonly, the adder is seen during the springtime. Their diet consists mostly of small mammals, birds, frogs, and lizards. The adder is a shy, venomous snake and is not confrontational in the wild. They can live for over 25 years and they hibernate in large dens.

The horn-nosed viper is a close relative of the common adder. The viper is slightly larger than the adder and has a horn at the tip of its snout. Both these snakes give birth to young and are both active during the daytime. Even though the common adder and the horn-nosed viper are similar, there are still some differences you can tell just by looking at them.

The common adder has beautiful patterns and gives birth to live young, a rare feature among reptiles. Their unique features make them great creatures to study.

[Source: The Encyclopedia Of Animals]