Adder (Vipera berus)

Adder (Vipera berus), Forest of Dean, originally uploaded by Ben909.

Tricky to get a good shot of this adder in the grass under a bush, but hopefully lots more opportunities to come as the weather warms up.
Vipera berus is a venomous viper species that is extremely widespread and can be found throughout most of Western Europe and all the way to Far East Asia. Known by a host of common names including Common adder and Common viper, adders have been the subject of much folklore in Britain and other European countries. They are not regarded as highly dangerous; the snake is not aggressive and usually only bites when alarmed or disturbed. Bites can be very painful, but are seldom fatal (courtesy of Wikipedia).