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European Adder | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

European Adder

Vipera berus

ReptiliaHeathland, moorland, woodland edge, bog margins and coastal dunes across northern EurasiaLeast Concern

Field profile

The European adder is a small, stocky viper with a dark zigzag along the back and a vertical pupil. It is the only venomous snake native to Britain and one of very few in northern Europe. It bears live young and hibernates communally.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2026-02-07

European Adder

The adder ranges inside the Arctic Circle

No other snake ranges so far north. The European adder reaches beyond the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia by giving birth to live young rather than laying eggs, which removes the need for warm ground to incubate a clutch.

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