Holidaymakers visiting Devon have been warned after an adder was spotted at a beauty spot.
The resident, who did not want to be named, came across Britain's only venomous snake while walking near Woodbury Castle near Exeter.
Others have also reported sightings of the snake, SomersetLive reports.
Adders can be fatal to humans and dogs if bites are not treated - and are recognisable by their distinctive zig-zag pattern.
The resident said: "Watch out for adders when walking on Woodbury common at the moment.
"They’re not aggressive but will bite if trodden on."
Adders normally hibernate underground from October to March to avoid the cold winters, but now that the weather has become warmer they can be seen throughout the year.
The adder is a relatively small, stocky snake that prefers woodland, heathland and moorland habitats.
It hunts lizards and small mammals, as well as ground-nesting birds, such as skylark and meadow pipit.
In spring, male adders perform a "dance" during which they duel to fend off competition to mate.
Females incubate the eggs internally, 'giving birth' to three to 20 live young.
Adders hibernate from October, emerging in the first warm days of March, which is the easiest time of year to find them basking on a log or under a warm rock.
Males tend to be more silvery-grey in colour, while females are lighter or reddish-brown.
Adders are found across the country, except for the Isles of Scilly, the Channel Islands, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.
Last week, a dog nearly died after being bitten by an adder on its regular walk.
The venomous snake struck out at Angie Evan's pet Ollie as he walked in Tonyrefail, Wales, yesterday afternoon.
Angie said it was lucky the snake was only a baby as an adult bite would have likely killed Ollie.
Her friend Claire helped carry him to a car and they raced to the vets, contacting them on the way to make sure they had anti-venom, WalesOnline reports.
Ollie was given pain relief and put on a drip to make sure he stayed hydrated.
Angie said: "The vet said not to let him walk, but he is making very good progress on his recovery.
"He is still very sore and quite fragile.
"We have had so many kind messages of concern for Ollie and I am so thankful that people have been helping to raise awareness about how serious this can be."
