Photographing Adder Again

Adders to me are beautiful creatures, especially so when you get up close and observe the colour and detail of their scales. They are well adapted to the moorland environment and blend in among the heather and bracken completely. So much so that even close up their scales take on the shape and texture of leaves. It is almost as if they were formed from the very earth itself. Even on the lighter males the black zigzag pattern along their back from some angles appears as a sun cast shadow from a bracken frond.

These are a few images from the day.



Adder Vipera berus. © David Forster



Even the black pattern on their backs look like shadows cast by the bracken. © David Forster



Close up of the head of a male Adder (Vipera Berus). © David Forster



An image from a previous visit which shows how their markings help them blend into their environment, even in the open. © David Forster