Adders in Great Britain
Establishing adder numbers in order to save them
The project
Our only venomous snake, the adder, is in urgent need of targeted management, having experienced a widespread decline in Great Britain within the last century.
Adders tend to be restricted to open habitats where sunshine is easily accessible, such as heathland and moorland. The loss, fragmentation and degradation of these habitats, as well as direct persecution, has led to the disappearance of adders from local sites across the country. The species is thought to have already gone extinct in Nottinghamshire, where the last confirmed sighting was in 2006.
PTES is funding John Worthington-Hill, in conjunction with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust,Nottingham Trent University and other partners, to investigate the status and potential recovery
of the adder in Nottinghamshire. Specifically, he is investigating whether any adder populations remain in the county and causal factors in the species’ decline, including the extent and quality of available habitat, as well as carrying out population modelling. This information will help to determine the feasibility of, and inform decision-making towards restoring this iconic species to Nottinghamshire through a carefully planned reintroduction program. Field surveys will also provide valuable information on other underrecorded and vulnerable reptiles in the county.
Latest update
- John has completed his project so you can now read the full findings here