This morning I visited my local adders again and I was amazed that the males had still not sloughed their skins! Most people I know who visit different areas, have seen freshly sloughed male adders for weeks now, even at places much further north than where these adders live. All I can put it down to is the local climate here and the fact that there is cloud cover for the majority of the time these snakes are active. Two females were basking late on in the sunshine when the males had retreated.

2017 Adder diaries has been updated.