Walkers and pet owners have been urged to have their wits about them when walking after the discovery of a venomous snake in Balfron this week.
Villager Joanne Reid took to a community social media page this week after making the discovery on Wednesday morning.
She spotted the snake at around 11am on a popular dog walking route which is a farm road between the A81 and the back road to Drymen.
Adders are the UK’s only native venomous snake and can be spotted basking in the sunshine in woodland glades and on heathlands.
The adder is a relatively small, stocky snake. 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 twenty live young.
They can be identified by their greyish colour, with a dark and distinct zig-zag pattern down its back, and a red eye.
Males tend to be more silvery-grey in colour, while females are more light or reddish-brown. Black forms are sometimes spotted.
Adders are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 – meaning that it is an offence to kill, harm, injure, sell or trade them.
If you are think that your dog may have been bitten by an adder, you should contact your local vet.
