The Student Room Group

Snakes!

I'm going on my DofE expedition tomorrow until thursday. We're going to the new forest. Whilst having our health and safety briefing, we were informed there are two poisonous snakes in the UK: theAdder and the Viper. Where do they live? the new forest. I'm ****TING myself now. What the **** do I do if I see a snake so that doesnt bite me? How do I know theres one there so i dont step on it and make it bite me?
Heeeelp!
Reply 1
erm.....youll be fine
snakes tend to go away from humans
to avoid stepping on one...look where you'e going
you will be fineeeeeeeeee....so dont fret :0)
Reply 2
Look where your walking, use a stick to prod ahead.
Reply 3
FireDeuce
I'm going on my DofE expedition tomorrow until thursday. We're going to the new forest. Whilst having our health and safety briefing, we were informed there are two poisonous snakes in the UK: theAdder and the Viper. Where do they live? the new forest. I'm ****TING myself now. What the **** do I do if I see a snake so that doesnt bite me? How do I know theres one there so i dont step on it and make it bite me?
Heeeelp!


i live in the new forest and i'd never seen a snake
Reply 4
^ Thats really good to know actually.
I've been having dreams about them and everything im so terrified. I will try to look ahead but walking for days on end means I might start to drift off into neverland.
Reply 5
If i saw a snake i'd actually die on the spot from fright. Im sure there's like no snakes in the uk apart from grass snakes, but i've never ever seen a snake in my life and ive been in loads of forests and woods. Come to think of it, there might be vipers in the Uk forests because there was a viper on animals of farthing wood and that was set in this country. But you probably won't see one.
Unless it's some sort of idiot-snake, it's not going to let you tread on it, and you're hardly going to go out and deliberately find snakes to torment (assuming you're not Steve Irwin, of course). If you leave the snake alone, it should leave you alone; you're not food or a rival.
there might be vipers in the Uk forests because there was a viper on animals of farthing wood


adders are vipers... and they're the one and only poisonous snake in the UK. (grass snakes aren't poisonous)
I've trudged around plenty of countryside and never ever seen one... infact, i spent two months in a tropical rain forest and only ever saw 3 snakes... You'll be exceptionally lucky if you see one, cherish the moment.

Unless it's some sort of idiot-snake, it's not going to let you tread on it, and you're hardly going to go out and deliberately find snakes to torment (assuming you're not Steve Irwin, of course)


hehehe.... yeah, snakes don't take kindly to being trodden on, but they're not stupid...
if you see one just do not move..let it pass you by...do not attack it..just let it slowly leave the place!!!
Reply 9
Now this is a refreshing change to the definition of "Health". :yy:
I saw one the other day and I'm from Cornwall. I only saw it briefly as it was moving off a path into a hedge. Meeting them is a rare occurance though, just don't go running around any long grass.
Reply 11
If it's a hot day they're more likely to be out on rocks, paths and roads soaking up the sun - this I've seen a few times. I've never seen one off roads or paths in the local countryside ever in my life.

Should you see one, it'll probably just move away. They'll usually only bite if they feel threatened with no other options for escape.

Health and safety... pfft. I suppose they have to do these things now, but what ever happened to a bit of common sense.

-Chris
Just put on an Australian accent and try to grab its tail. Shout "I'm not gonna hurt ya mate. This ones a real beauty!"
I have seen 2 snakes in the wild in my whole life. One of which was a very large adder, which did not hang around for very long!

Who ever told you what you have just said is very confused indeed! I the UK there are a few types of snakes, some fall under the grass snake catogrey which are complety harmless.

This person that told you there are adders and vipers is wrong because the adder is a viper, the viper is a family of snake, some vipers such as the nose horned viper are extremly venemous and can kill you (these are not found in the UK) the adder is not very venemous at all and if it where to bite you, it would not cause anything more then a slight iritation.

I doubt you will see any snakes unless oyur looking for them, and can guarntee that unless you try and catch one there is not the slightest chance of getting biten.
Reply 14
FireDeuce

What the **** do I do if I see a snake so that doesnt bite me?



Run?!:p:
Reply 15
I did my silver assessed expedition at the beginning of this month and the practice at the beginning of June, and everyone was a bit worried about the whole snake factor too. We went to the Sussex downs, and this extract for the area wasn't exactly reassuring:

"Also at this time of year many reptiles are out and one of the more common species of snake we have in this county is the Grass snake (Natrix natrix). In the U.K this snake can grow from three feet in length to sometimes five feet" :biggrin:

However, we came across absolutely no snakes whatsoever, despite walking through some very grassy areas. We were quite wary at times, but as long as you're wearing sturdy walking boots and have your legs covered (we did ours in 36 degree heat; yet our leaders still said it was compulsory that we wore trousers. Augh it was murder!) it should be alright. Just make sure if you can't see the ground beneath you to take very certain steps and possibly stamp your feet a little.

Apart from the blisters and the 36 degree heat it was absolutely fine. Don't worry about snakes. :smile:
i did my gold in the alps and DofE os great :smile: the only snakelike things i have ever seen on expedition are slow worms (lizzards without legs apparently, but they look like snakes). i think they are more common than snakes in this country and they arent poisonous. so if you see a black snake like thing dont worry about it.
As long as you'rewearing walking boots you'll be fine, seeing as it can't bite your ankles through thick leather.

I have never seen a snake in teh wild in the UK despite doing lots of outdoor pursuits; I suppose the safety briefing is like the talk you get before takeoff in an aeroplane.