Female Adder (Vipera berus) in poor condition

            I guess not all photos have to show aesthetically pleasing specimens...  This was taken using a very long lens as the female was basking in a well-known spot on the Dorset coast that happens to be a bank above a disused quarry shaft, so she's about 10m away.  What is clear is the emaciated appearance and dullness of the scales.  Possibly a female that gave birth late in the season and hence had no time to build up fat reserves before winter, or perhaps she lost too much fat in the mainly mild winter that we have had.  Either way I suspect her early (for a female) emergence is a desperate attempt to warm up and to start feeding as soon as she possibly can.  Good luck to her - she'll need it!
   

Taken on: March 2, 2024

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Nikon D850

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Sigma 150-600mm telephoto

Sigma 150-600mm « less

Sets appears in: • Adders (Vipera berus)

Camera: Nikon D850, f/6.3, 1/800 sec, 600mm, ISO 1000 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D850
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/800)
Focal Length:	600mm
ISO:	1000
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Show full info

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