These effects are very unpleasant but easily treated. However, adder bites are potentially very serious and should not be under-estimated. In a small proportion of cases, adder bite can lead to severe effects requiring extensive hospital treatment. Although exceedingly unlikely, adder bite can be fatal.

Can a UK adder kill you?

While the adder's bite can be very painful and the venom does have the potential to be fatal, no one has died from an adder bite in Britain for over 20 years. If properly treated, the worst effects of the snake's bite are nausea and drowsiness, followed by severe swelling and bruising around the bite.

Can adders kill dogs?

Can an adder bite kill a dog? While there have been cases where an adder bite has led to the death of a dog, these are very rare. One study found that fewer than one in 20 dogs died as a result of an adder bite.