A member of the public snapped a photo of an adder resting in the sun in a field in South Milton yesterday.

Tony Head, Charles Head Estate Agents, spotted the snake in a field in South Milton.

The Forestry Commission website says: "The adder is the only venomous snake native to Britain. Adders have the most highly developed venom injecting mechanism of all snakes, but they are not aggressive animals.

"Adders will only use their venom as a last means of defence, usually if caught or trodden on. No one has died from adder bite in Britain for over 20 years.

"With proper treatment, the worst effects are nausea and drowsiness, followed by severe swelling and bruising in the area of the bite. Most people who are bitten were handling the snake. Treat adders with respect and leave them alone."

It goes on to explain how to identify them: "Most adders are distinctively marked with a dark zigzag running down the length of the spine and an inverted ’V’ shape on the neck.

"Males are generally white or pale grey with a black zigzag. Females are a pale brown colour, with a darker brown zigzag. But some adders are entirely black and can be mistaken for some other species."

Thank you to Tony for allowing us to reproduce his photo.