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Adder


Adder
Photo Information
Copyright: Matt Berry (rodosranger) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 80 W: 0 N: 347] (2101)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-04
Categories: Reptiles
Camera: Canon EOS 30d
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Vanderschelden's favourites [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-05-05 12:38
Viewed: 5027
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
An Adder (Vipera berus) with its tongue out...

Species notes:

The Adder is the most northerly member of the Viper family and is found throughout Britain right up to the north of Scotland, and in Scandinavia its range extends into the Arctic Circle. It is not, however, found in Ireland.

The Adder is easily recognised as it has a bold dark zig-zag stripe down its back. There is also a row of dark spots along each side. Colours vary from black and white in the male to shades of brown or copper in the female. Completely black specimens are often found. The Adder likes open habitats such as heathland, moorland, open woodland and sea cliffs. The Adder gives birth to live young in August.

They feed mostly on rodents and lizards, striking their prey to inject venom and then following the scent trail of the dying animal. It is not an aggressive snake but it is our only snake with a poisonous bite. There are around 10 recorded cases of death from Adder bite in the last 100 years, but a bite from an adder is painful and usually results in hospitalisation. Therefore, Adders should be treated with the utmost respect. Many more people have been killed by lightning, golf balls and wasp stings than by Adder bite!

Adders are protected by law in Great Britain against being killed, injured or sold or traded in any way.
pirate, cicindela, aido, deblink, Royaldevon, horia, vanderschelden has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • pirate Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 799 W: 152 N: 1186] (7474)
  • [2007-05-05 12:50]

Hi Matt
What a great picture with perfect DOF but also perfect action, beautifull light and great compo.
TOM

Fantastic tounge!

Hello Mat!
Very nice portrait of viper! I like this close-up, details, POV and very good DOF.
Note is also very interesting :)
Best greetings,
Radomir

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1044 W: 156 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2007-05-05 14:00]

Hello Matt,
A nice image, good timing to capture his tongue. Great detail and exposure and a good profile POV, it's interesting to see an Adder this close. Great use of DOF in what looks to be a fairly compact environment. Good image and an interesting note.
Regards,
Adrian

Hi Matt,
Great timing in this wonderful image, the frozen tongue action makes this an exciting capture. Real nice lighting shows great detail in this serpentine snapshot. :)

Well I finally see one of these. For years when I would visit family in Folkestone I would like to hike from the sea cliffs down to the sea. I love the area between Folkestone and Dover. People would always warn to watch out for adders...which I did, but luckily never saw one. This is as close as I want to come to one. I'll let you take the risk of stopping long enough to photograph it! It is a great capture with the forked tongue.

TFS
Evelynn : )

  • Great 
  • emmari Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 105 W: 0 N: 387] (3105)
  • [2007-05-05 14:52]

This is the great moment!
Congratulations.
Emmanuem

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1739 W: 224 N: 6872] (24909)
  • [2007-05-05 16:13]

Hi Matt,
this is an awesome capture of this evil-looking snake.
I've always wnated to photograph an Adder but have never seen one!
Well done,
Joey

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1127 W: 254 N: 3161] (14464)
  • [2007-05-05 16:22]

Hi Matt,

Although I am not a snake fanatic,you composed this shot very well,a great POV with good colors and sharpness,well done and tfs

Paul

hello very good photo congratulations

Wow Matt,
Great image of this Adder. We have Death Adder's in Australia. I don't think I have ever seen an image of one though. I wouldn't want to come across one either. Your image is excellent, fabulous quality and to capture the subject with its tongue out was pretty amazing.
Cheers,
Debbie

Hello Mat,
Wherever did you see this! It is a great capture! Wonderful detail, great dof and pov. I found your notes interesting.
Kind regards,
Bev :-)

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2158 W: 224 N: 4749] (16656)
  • [2007-05-06 5:56]

Hi Matt

What a magnificent shot of this splendid Vipera berus specimen!
I really love the moment you captured here as well as the impeccable sharpness of the details here.
The low-angled POV here does great to give you an excellent perspective to the scene as well as help you get enough clearance to the BG.
The exposure is spot-on and due to that all the colors are very nice and rich, espcially that amazing eye with its vertical pupil very well visible.
The DOF is exceptional and it isolates your subject excellently from the scene but still keeps perfect focus on the flicking forked tongue.
All-in-all: brilliant work!

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Wow...Matty
Instead of going to a safer place, you photographed him.
And it is done successfully!
Beautiful close up in terms of sharpness, colours, compo, decisive moment(tongue), etc.
Congrats
Annick

amazing pic, TFS Ori

Guess who?.....LOL

Well fancy seeing you here Matt, bit of a cracker here mate, what superb timing!

Talk soon mate....Ade

Ciao Matt!
What a great capture you did!
You're a master ;-)
Marco

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