# adders



## soloth (Oct 17, 2007)

i'd imagine that you need a DWA for one.

but does anyone keep one....i haven't seen one since i was 7, and just wondered if anyone keeps one.

i've always been fascinated by them, because it scared the crap out of me at the time, because it's about the only dangerous thing in the UK

(apart from the streets of newport at night)

i want an adder now
haha


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

yeh they are DWA, you can still collect them from the wild and keep with a DWA I believe.


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## Genseric (Oct 7, 2007)

What? Are you sure? I never thought that adders where allowed to be captured wild as they are a protected species.. in fact, I would go as far as to recommend that people do NOT touch these snakes unless they are a part of a programme to assist these animals. 

Also the fact that they can nail you doesn't help


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

well unless they are on the new EPS legislation, which im not sure about without checking, but I have a feeling they are not, then its not illegal although they are not as common now as they once were.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

no they are not covered by the EPS, so with correct license and insurance you could collect one and keep.


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

i think the only protected species are smooth snakes and marbled newts? arnt they?


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## Genseric (Oct 7, 2007)

*Adders are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. *
*It is an offence to kill, harm or injure them*
*sell or trade them in any way*​ 

I'll have to look it up and see what is covered there.. I do know that when I was starting out, it was something I was always told ie not to even think about trying to get one.​ 
*The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981*


The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981(*WCA 1981*) consolidates and amends existing national legislation to implement the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) and Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the Conservation of Wild Birds (Birds Directive) in Great Britain1 . It is complimented by the Wildlife and Countryside (Service of Notices) Act 1985, which relates to notices served under the 1981 Act, and the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended)2 , which implement Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (EC Habitats Directive). The Act received royal assent on 30 October 1981 and was brought into force in incremental steps. Amendments to the Act have occurred, the most recent being the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000 (in England and Wales) and the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 (in Scotland). There is also a statutory five-yearly review of Schedules 5 and 8 (protected wild animals and plant respectively), undertaken by the country agencies and co-ordinated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Containing four Parts and 17 Schedules, the Act covers protection of wildlife (birds, and some animals and plants), the countryside, National Parks, and the designation of protected areas, and public rights of way. 

*Wildlife*

The Act makes it an offence (with exception to species listed in Schedule 2) to intentionally kill, injure, or take any wild bird or their eggs or nests. Special penalties are available for offences related to birds listed on Schedule 1, for which there are additional offences of disturbing these birds at their nests, or their dependent young. The Secretary of State may also designate Areas of Special Protection (subject to exceptions) to provide further protection to birds. The Act also prohibits certain methods of killing, injuring, or taking birds, restricts the sale and possession of captive bred birds, and sets standards for keeping birds in captivity.

*The Act makes it an offence (subject to exceptions) to intentionally kill, injure, or take, possess, or trade in any wild animal listed in **Schedule 5**, and prohibits interference with places used for shelter or protection, or intentionally disturbing animals occupying such places. The Act also prohibits certain methods of killing, injuring, or taking wild animals.*

The Act makes it an offence (subject to exceptions) to pick, uproot, trade in, or possess (for the purposes of trade) any wild plant listed in Schedule 8, and prohibits the unauthorised intentional uprooting of such plants.

The Act contains measures for preventing the establishment of non-native species which may be detrimental to native wildlife, prohibiting the release of animals and planting of plants listed in Schedule 9. It also provides a mechanism making any of the above offences legal through the granting of licences by the appropriate authorities.

*Nature Conservation, Countryside and National Parks*

The Act provides for the notification of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – areas of special scientific interest by reason of their flora, fauna, or geological or physiographical features – by the country agencies. A notification must be served to the relevant local planning authority, all land owners and occupiers, and the Secretary of State, specifying the time period within which representations and objections may be made. The country agencies must consider these responses and may withdraw or confirm the notification, with or without amendment. The Act also contains measures for the protection and management of SSSIs. The Act provides for the making of Limestone Pavement Orders, which prohibit the disturbance and removal of limestone from such designated areas, and the designation of Marine Nature Reserves, for which byelaws must be made to protect them.

The Act prohibits the undertaking of agricultural or forestry operations on land within National Parks which has been either moor or heath for 20 years, without consent from the relevant planning authority. Planning authorities are also required to make available to the public up to date maps of moor and heath land within National Parks, which are important for the conservation of natural beauty.

*Public Rights of Way*

The Act requires surveying authorities to maintain up to date definitive maps and statements, for the purpose of clarifying public rights of way. The Act also includes provisions for traffic regulation, ploughing, appointing wardens, signposting, and prohibiting the keeping of bulls on land crossed by public rights of way.


1Equivalent provisions for Northern Ireland are contained within the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.
2Equivalent provisions for Northern Ireland are contained within the Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc.) Regulations 1995(as amended).


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## Genseric (Oct 7, 2007)

I don't mind saying that I would prefer it is Adders were not a part of the general herp world price list. They are our only species of Hot, and have a hard enough time with misconception as it is. The last thing we need is people grabbing them and selling them in the black. Normally I am not overly concerned about species on the market, but when it comes to our own, then I think the best viv is in your local park or heathland.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

yeh you are not allowed to hurt them or sell or trade them but you are allowed to collect them for yourself.


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## Genseric (Oct 7, 2007)

What part of *take or possess* did you not pick up on?


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## Mojo (Nov 15, 2006)

LeviathanNI said:


> What part of *take or possess* did you not pick up on?


Leviathan, if you read section 5 it says 'kill, injure or sale' NOT take - the only snake with a full section 5 is the smooth snake. Did you not pick up on that?


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

calm down, from the sites im looking at which is what I have always been led to believe it says this


Protection against killing, injuring and sale
This level of protection applies to the four widespread species of reptile, namely the common lizard, slow-worm, grass snake and adder. Only part of sub-section 9(1) and all of sub-section 9(5) apply; these prohibit the intentional killing and injuring and trade (i.e. sale, barter, exchange, transporting for sale and advertising to sell or to buy). It is not an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to possess these animals.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

Essex Wildlife Trust: amphibians, reptiles and the law in the UK

Naturenet: Amphibians and Reptiles and the Law

British Reptiles


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## Genseric (Oct 7, 2007)

I re read what the laws says, and I knew the specifics, sorry I came across a bit terse there, I was running down the stairs 

I just don't think it is a good idea to have people thinking they can pick up adders just because they can... not much good will come of it, and as most of you know, the media love to hype up stuff like this.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

no worries mate:lol2:, I dont think people should just go out and pick up adders its a very bad idea, they may not be lethal but they have an unpleasent bite and they are not very common, having said that if you get a license and insurance and do it all properly, I dont see how its any different really to buying a WC animal from a shop. As long as the person has definately checked, and you are allowed, I tried to look it up on the official government site, but its all a bit confusing. But from what I can see it is legal to collect them.


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## SuperTed (Apr 19, 2007)

yep they are definatly only covered under the section of which killing injuring or harming the animal is illegal.


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## Genseric (Oct 7, 2007)

It is like you said, legal to have them, but not to sell them.. up to now that has mostly just been in the interest of a hardcore of herp keepers... my worry is that people will get a cornsnake and go surfing on American sites, see loads of people with hots, and decide they want to give it a go themselves, not realising the experience needed to look ater them, and themselves.

I had adders here once, and even had a female give birth, but they are hard to look after, and need a fair bit of space (we had a room for them). These were ones that some smart person had decided to pluck from the wild, and he discovered they weren't all that 'cool' and released them over here. It took a while, but we collected them up, and kept them until they were healthy enough to take back over to England and released.. obviously with the babies coming it took a bit longer that we would have liked, but they were all released with the year.


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## Tomcat (Jul 29, 2007)

LeviathanNI said:


> What part of *take or possess* did you not pick up on?


No need to be like that.

Yes, it says you cant take or possess them though. So that means you cannot collect them.


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## Genseric (Oct 7, 2007)

Tomcat said:


> No need to be like that.
> 
> Yes, it says you cant take or possess them though. So that means you cannot collect them.


 
I take it you got to there and posted? Read the rest..


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## Fangio (Jun 2, 2007)

Friend of mine kept one for a while then released it back where he got it from (he was a DWA license holder experienced with hots though not a numpty that wants a cool snake).


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## jaysnakeman (May 10, 2006)

you can keep them if you have a dwa but wc adders are very difficult to keep alive and cb vipera berus are like rocking horse sh


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## claire_e_dodd (Sep 18, 2007)

Why did I think it was completely illegal, to not only keep, sell etc but to even TOUCH an adder in Britain????

I know it was a friend who told me so not a reliable source, but I've spoken to a few people who thought the same thing, is this a common misconception? Or did it used to be true and the law changed?

If not, does anyone know where the hell it came form?


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

no the law hasnt changed, I think people just hear they are protected and presume that you cannot keep them, but actually theres different levels of protection.


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

I never realised you could collect them and keep them (obviously if you had DWA). I always thought they were look and not touch, but I guess not :lol2:

My mum got tagged by one in our garden. Full on invenomation and her leg swelled up like a balloon :no1: Well done mum!

: victory:


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## serpentkid100 (Mar 7, 2006)

they are cool, if you have your dwa then i expect they would be a good starter like the copperhead


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