Common European Adder

riđovka · Vipera berus

reptileprotected

A cold-tolerant viper of the higher mountains and forest edges, the adder ranges where the nose-horned viper does not. Venomous but rarely dangerous to healthy adults.

Identification & best seen

50–70 cm; thick-set with a dark zig-zag stripe; males greyer, females browner; active by day in cooler uplands.

Habitat & where to see

Mountain meadows, clearings and bogs at higher elevations.

Fun fact

It can survive farther north than almost any other snake — into the Arctic Circle.