It was a bright spring morning, and I had gone up to Dartmoor with my mum, my brother and my grandma for a walk in the fresh sunshine. My mum suggested that we go off the path to look at some bluebells and everyone agreed. It was beautiful. I could hear the birds singing and see the granite rocks sparkling.
My grandma and my brother walked away from us, and I went in the opposite direction towards some brambles by a slab of concrete that was catching the sun. And then I saw it – a large, black snake rearing up at me. We looked at each other for a second – it had black scales and faint zigzag patterns on its body.
I was both scared and surprised, but I didn’t move and called out to my mum, who told me to move backwards very slowly. So I did. The snake relaxed and put its head down on the ground, not feeling threatened by me any more, and slid away under a large rock.
When I got home, we identified the snake as a black adder – the only venomous snake in the UK. The one I saw was about half a metre long, but they can grow up to 80cm, and they feed on small mammals, lizards and slowworms. It is not seen very often as they are known to be shy, so it felt very special to have seen one.
Orla, eight
• Read today’s other YCD, by Tabitha, 10: ‘Robin chicks are everywhere, in the kitchen, in Mum’s hair’
• The Young Country Diary submission form is still open, and will close on Monday 4 May
