 Poster: A snowHead
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Two weeks ago we spotted this viper (about 18 inches long) on a walk. That was the first time I’d seen a snake in the mountains. I’ve seen 2 since…one of which took up (hopefully temporary) residence under our freezer in the garage for a few days, and yesterday another crossing a road. My reading tells me they’ve been protected since 2021. I’m curious to know if anyone else has seen them, and whether sightings have got more common.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have had it with these motherf***ing snakes on this motherf***ing montagne.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Ha! Never seen the movie, @Dave of the Marmottes, but I expected my post to provoke a few Snakes on a Plane references! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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FWIW I suspect snakes are always with us. Same as grassland/heath in England. Whether you see them or not depends on numerous factors like daily temperature, their desire to sun themselves and your desire to turn over sheets of old metal etc.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If you talk to rock climbers (as opposed to high alpine/glacier), you may find they happen upon snakes more often than other mountain visitors due to sharing their terrain – sunny rocks – a bit more closely. I've seen a few slow worms, which I did initially think were snakes due to never having seen one before, but no actual snakes. Plenty of lizards though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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A good few years ago I came eye to eye with an adder when doing a bit of work on a bank in the garden. I got down and ran very exitedly to the house for a camera; "There's a snake, there's a snake!". Wife and child mocked me mercilessly for ages for being a scaredy-cat and running away from a lil ole snake.
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Quite a few years ago I saw a snake very late skiing season from the chairlift in Monetier.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I saw a big grass snake the other week when I was out walking the dogs. Luckily they didn't see it. It must have been about four feet long. It was sunning itself on a path between two hedges near the river.
I can't remember seeing a snake in the mountains but there were always loads of lizards in Seefeld in the summer.
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Very common, and many a dog has to go to the vet for emergency treatment as @KenX will testify to!
Cycling around you see many squashed on the road.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My last dog was twice bitten on his paws by adders, Cornwall coastal footpath in May hunting rabbits under gorse patches.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| BoardieK wrote: |
| My last dog was twice bitten on his paws by adders, Cornwall coastal footpath in May hunting rabbits under gorse patches. |
Hunter became the hunted.
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We have grass snakes (I'm pretty certain they are grass snakes) under our decking, together with a collection of shed skins around 1m long.
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You know it makes sense.
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We've seen a couple when out walking near Monetier, once having spent the last 20 minutes of the walk discussing the said European viper which was basking in the sun at the side of the track.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Weathercam wrote: |
Very common, and many a dog has to go to the vet for emergency treatment as @KenX will testify to!
Cycling around you see many squashed on the road. |
Absolutely! Our 11 year-old cocker spaniel was bitten by a viper which was cooling itself in a muddy puddle she walked through, she collapsed almost immediately and almost died (only 10kg), luckily straight to the vets, kept overnight on fluids etc and is still with us, lots of cats and dogs get bitten every year here by vipers, just yesterday a hiker in La Grave was hospitalised due to a viper bite......
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Poster: A snowHead
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We see a few vipers (Kreuzotter) hereabouts, typically on South-facing mountain areas. The mountain behind us is North facing so it’s not so common in our village.
I did, however, find what seems to be locally called a Black Rat Snake, in our sitting room a couple of years ago! About 1m 20cm long. That was a bit of a shock, though that year there had been a significant increase in rat populations in rural areas, which might have explained why it was passing through 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I thought the vipers in the Alps had been protected for a while now. I know they banned the practice of catching them and drowning them in a bottle of Genepy to improve the smoothness of said digestif.
That said you can still get a glass of the Vipre in Tignes…..
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Adders like the one in the photo are fairly common around Salzburgerland. I probably see one or two each summer sunning themselves on rocks, but they tend to slither off as soon as they detect someone is around. Lizards are really common - there are a few sunny spots where they are almost guaranteed to be seen.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Seen a couple in UK. Very rarely see a ring snake/grass snake basking in Germany.
See loads of slow worms around here. Was actually quite surprised how large some can grow. Saw one recently when MTBing and thought I was about to run over a snake, since it was much larger than most of those I see. They love to bask right in the middle of cinder track.
Loads of lizards too, usually scampering along stone walls.
Often hear rustling in the forest, not loud enough to be a blackbird, stop walking expecting to see some kind of tiny rodent and it'll often be some lizardy/salamandery type of thing.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| BoardieK wrote: |
| My last dog was twice bitten on his paws by adders, Cornwall coastal footpath in May hunting rabbits under gorse patches. |
funny almost stood on one nr Boscastle this May, then in my hurry to move my feet out of the way tripped over and as I landed nearly put my hand on it Fortunately they move quite quickly
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@richb67, nearby Rocky Valley was one of the locations.
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Was splitting wood the other day when a 6 feet long Montpellier viper slid out from the back of the pile shortly followed by another , get them all the time in Guillestre . Cat loves playing with the scorpions we have in the garage . Mountain life ,don't know how they survive the winters .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malpolon_monspessulanus
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Never knew there were snakes in the mountains there. I live in the mountains and all I have to worry about is parrots eating my Internet
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Useless piece of info: Adder, orginally Nadder. Apron, orginally Napron.
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Perhaps these are the snow snakes that trip you up in the winter 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We were hiking round a lake in Alsace and there was steep rocky sections that you needed to use your hands on. A young lady in front was struggling but her boyfriend urged her on. When she saw the sign about basking snakes she started crying and had a meltdown. The boyfriend was sooooo in the doghouse.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I just let my wife go ahead in areas where the snakes could be.
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| No Style wrote: |
| I just let my wife go ahead in areas where the snakes could be. |
The old advice is to go first because...
the first person wakes up the snake, the second annoys it and the third gets bitten
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You know it makes sense.
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@BoardieK, this was on the path up to the coastguard watch point just north of rocky valley
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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We found one snake in Yorkshire recently, after close investigation, it appeared to be legless lizard 
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Poster: A snowHead
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From today's Connexion
Snake bites sleeping tourist in Pau after sliding into his T-shirt
The man was taking a nap outside in grass in the Aspe Valley. It is thought he may have moved and scared the snake, which was probably seeking shade.
A holiday-maker was left in a critical condition after being bitten by a snake that slid into his T-shirt as he took a nap outside in south-west France.
The man, 49, stopped for a siesta on grass near Lescun, Béarn, a popular destination for summer tourists, while on a walk with family on Sunday (August 11).
Whilst asleep the snake slid into his T-shirt, most likely seeking refuge from the sun. It then bit him on the chest, giving the man an anaphylactic shock, as he proved to be severely allergic to the snake’s venom.
It is thought he may have moved and scared the snake.
Emergency services called to the scene had to stabilise the man before transporting him to hospital in Pau via helicopter.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A very very unlucky chap?!?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Given he was in the Aspe Valley, he'd have been well advised to look out for snakes ...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
Whilst asleep the snake slid into his T-shirt
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Cunning creatures, aren't they?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Lol.
Clue is in the name.
Snake valley.
At least the asp was not on his car.
That would be a windshield viper.
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