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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment

Young country diary: A close call with a black adder

A close-up of a black adder in a field
A black adder, which come out of hibernation in spring. Photograph: Taha Aro/Getty Images/500px

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.

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