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50-444: The National Park covers an area of 197.63 km (76.3 mi), and the buffer zone around the park covers an area of 130.11 km (50.2 mi); 327.74 km together. Eleven national nature reserves and eight nature reserves are situated in the park. The park offers about 300 km of hiking trails , often equipped with ladders, chains and bridges. The Slovak Paradise contains about 350 caves, but only Dobšiná Ice Cave , which

100-757: A 5-year-old child in 1975 —and one nearly fatal bite of a 39-year-old woman in Essex in 1998. An 82-year-old woman died following a bite in Germany in 2004, although it is not clear whether her death was due to the effect of the venom. A 44-year-old British man was left seriously ill after he was bitten by an adder in the Dalby Forest , Yorkshire, in 2014. Even so, professional medical help should always be sought as soon as possible after any bite. Very occasionally bites can be life-threatening, particularly in small children, while adults may experience discomfort and disability long after

150-583: A comparison, in one test the minimum lethal dose of venom for a guinea pig was 40–67 mg, but only 1.7 mg was necessary when Daboia russelii venom was used. Brown (1973) gives a higher subcutaneous LD 50 range of 1.0–4.0 mg/kg. All agree that the venom yield is low: Minton (1974) mentions 10–18 mg for specimens 48–62 cm (19–24.5 in) in length, while Brown (1973) lists only 6 mg. Relatively speaking, bites from this species are not highly dangerous. In Britain there were only 14 known fatalities between 1876 and 2005—the last

200-424: A day. If a female is found and then flees, the male follows. Courtship involves side-by-side parallel 'flowing' behaviour, tongue flicking along the back and excited lashing of the tail. Pairs stay together for one or two days after mating. Males chase away their rivals and engage in combat. Often, this also starts with the aforementioned flowing behaviour before culminating in the dramatic 'adder dance'. In this act,

250-624: A fully functional venom apparatus and a reserve supply of yolk within their bodies. They shed their skins for the first time within a day or two. Females do not appear to take much interest in their offspring, but the young have been observed to remain near their mothers for several days after birth. Because of the rapid rate of human expansion throughout the range of this species, bites are relatively common. Domestic animals and livestock are frequent victims. In Great Britain, most instances occur in March–October. In Sweden, there are about 1,300 bites

300-587: A panoramic view. A rock shelf known as Tomášovský výhľad is popular (with both climbers and visitors) for its unique view, situated at 680m. The lowest point is at the Hornád's surface at 470m. The geological formation of the Slovenský raj mountains is rather complicated. The majority of the territory is built by two basic units. The small, western one is the Bebrava unit separated from the eastern, larger Northern Gemer unit by

350-430: A squarish frontal (longer than wide, sometimes rectangular), two parietals (sometimes with a tiny scale between the frontal and the parietals), and two long and narrow supraoculars . The latter are large and distinct, each separated from the frontal by one to four small scales. The nostril is situated in a shallow depression within a large nasal scale . The eye is relatively large—equal in size or slightly larger than

400-577: A variety of reasons, fragmentation of populations in Europe due to intense agriculture practices, and collection for the pet trade or for venom extraction have been recorded as major contributing factors for its decline. A citizen science based survey in the UK found evidence of extensive population declines in the UK, especially affecting smaller populations. A combination of public pressure and disturbance, habitat fragmentation and poor habitat management were considered

450-445: A year, with an estimated 12% that require hospitalisation. At least eight different antivenoms are available against bites from this species. Mallow et al. (2003) describe the venom toxicity as being relatively low compared to other viper species. They cite Minton (1974) who reported the LD 50 values for mice to be 0.55 mg/kg IV , 0.80 mg/kg IP and 6.45 mg/kg SC . As

500-499: Is ovoviviparous . Females breed once every two or three years, with litters usually being born in late summer to early autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Litters range in size from three to 20 with young staying with their mothers for a few days. Adults grow to a total length (including tail) of 60 to 90 cm (24 to 35 in) and a mass of 50 to 180 g (1.8 to 6.3 oz) . Three subspecies are recognised, including

550-443: Is 80–87 cm (31–34 in). Mass ranges from 50 g (1.8 oz) to about 180 grams (6.3 oz). The head is fairly large and distinct and its sides are almost flat and vertical. The edge of the snout is usually raised into a low ridge. Seen from above, the rostral scale is not visible, or only just. Immediately behind the rostral, there are two (rarely one) small scales. Dorsally, there are usually five large plates:

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600-935: Is cold-adapted and hibernates in the winter. In Great Britain, males and females hibernate for about 150 and 180 days, respectively. In northern Sweden hibernation lasts 8–9 months. On mild winter days, they may emerge to bask where the snow has melted and will often travel across snow. About 15% of adults and 30–40% of juveniles die during hibernation. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals, such as mice , rats , voles , and shrews , as well as lizards . Sometimes, slow worms are taken, and even weasels and moles . Adders also feed on amphibians, such as frogs , newts , and salamanders . Birds are also reported to be consumed, especially nestlings and even eggs, for which they will climb into shrubbery and bushes. Generally, diet varies depending on locality. Juveniles will eat nestling mammals, small lizards and frogs as well as worms and spiders. One important dietary source for young adders

650-728: Is derived from nædre , an Old English word that had the generic meaning of serpent in the older forms of many Germanic languages. It was commonly used in the Old English version of the Christian Scriptures for the devil and the serpent in the Book of Genesis . In the 14th century, 'a nadder' in Middle English was rebracketed to 'an adder' (just as 'a napron' became 'an apron' and 'a nompere ' changed into 'an umpire'). In keeping with its wide distribution and familiarity through

700-444: Is found in a variety of habitats, including: chalky downs, rocky hillsides, moors, sandy heaths, meadows, rough commons, edges of woods, sunny glades and clearings, bushy slopes and hedgerows, dumps, coastal dunes, and stone quarries. It will venture into wetlands if dry ground is available nearby and thus may be found on the banks of streams, lakes, and ponds. In much of southern Europe , such as southern France and northern Italy, it

750-572: Is found in either low lying wetlands or at high altitudes. In the Swiss Alps , it may ascend to about 3,000 m (9,800 ft). In Hungary and Russia, it avoids open steppeland; a habitat in which V. ursinii is more likely to occur. In Russia, however, it does occur in the forest steppe zone. In Great Britain , it is illegal to kill, injure, harm or sell adders under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 . The same situation applies to Norway under

800-404: Is home to 65 endangered species, including the saker falcon , European otter and European ground squirrel . Forests cover 90% of the park. The most widespread trees are the beech , spruce , fir and pine . The park is home to 930 species of plants, of which 35 are protected. It contains six endemic plants, which are exclusively native to the immediate area, and 19 endemic plants native to

850-470: Is listed as protected (Appendix III) under the Berne Convention . The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species describes the conservation status as of 'least concern' in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, broad range of habitats, and likely slow rate of decline though it acknowledges the population to be decreasing. Reduction in habitat for

900-617: Is no record of any biting taking place during these bouts. Females usually give birth in August or September, but sometimes as early as July, or as late as early October. Litters range in size from 3 to 20. The young are usually born encased in a transparent sac from which they must free themselves. Sometimes, they succeed in freeing themselves from this membrane while still inside the female. Neonates measure 14 to 23 cm (5.5 to 9.1 in) in total length (including tail), with an average total length of 17 cm (6.7 in). They are born with

950-621: Is not regarded as especially dangerous; the snake is not aggressive and usually bites only when really provoked, stepped on, or picked up. Bites can be very painful, but are seldom fatal. The specific name , berus , is Neo-Latin and was at one time used to refer to a snake, possibly the grass snake, Natrix natrix . The common adder is found in different terrains, habitat complexity being essential for different aspects of its behaviour. It feeds on small mammals , birds , lizards , and amphibians , and in some cases on spiders , worms , and insects . The common adder, like most other vipers,

1000-438: Is notable as being the only native venomous snake. It is one of only three snake species native to Britain. The other two, the barred grass snake and the smooth snake , are non-venomous. Sufficient habitat complexity is a crucial requirement for the presence of this species, in order to support its various behaviours—basking, foraging, and hibernation—as well as to offer some protection from predators and human harassment. It

1050-595: Is since 2000 a UNESCO World Heritage Site , is open to the public. The headquarters of the park are located in Spišská Nová Ves. The first protected reserve in the area of the Slovak Paradise was founded in 1890. The first protected plant was the edelweiss in 1936. The name Slovenský raj first appeared in 1921 in the Krásy Slovenska magazine and replaced many names used until that period. On 21 August 1964

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1100-481: Is the alpine salamander ( salamadra atra ). Because both species live at higher altitudes, S. atra could be a prevalent food source for adders, since there may be few other animals. One study suggests that alpine salamanders could consist of almost half of the adders' diets in some locations. They have been witnessed swallowing these salamanders in the early morning hours. Once they reach about 30 cm (0.98 ft) in length, their diet begins to resemble that of

1150-639: The Arctic Circle , and Russia to the Pacific Ocean, Sakhalin Island , North Korea , northern Mongolia and northern China. It is found farther north than any other snake species. The type locality was originally listed as 'Europa'. Mertens and Müller (1940) proposed restricting the type locality to Uppsala, Sweden and it was eventually restricted to Berthåga, Uppsala by designation of a neotype by Krecsák & Wahlgren (2008). In several European countries, it

1200-609: The Viltloven  [ no ] (The Wildlife Act 1981) and Denmark (1981). In Finland (Nature Conservation Act 9/2023) killing an adder is legal if it's not possible to capture and transfer it to another location and the same provision also applies in Sweden. The common viper is categorised as 'endangered' in Switzerland, and is also protected in some other countries in its range. It is also found in many protected areas . This species

1250-499: The common European adder and the common European viper , is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae . The species is extremely widespread and can be found throughout much of Europe , and as far as East Asia . There are three recognised subspecies . Known by a host of common names including common adder and common viper , the adder has been the subject of much folklore in Britain and other European countries. It

1300-419: The nominate subspecies , Vipera berus berus described here. The snake is not considered to be threatened, though it is protected in some countries. There are three subspecies of V. berus that are recognised as being valid including the nominotypical subspecies . The subspecies V. b. bosniensis and V. b. sachalinensis have been regarded as full species in some recent publications. The name 'adder'

1350-705: The ventral scales . These scales seem loosely attached to the skin and lower rows become increasingly wide; those closest to the ventral scales are twice as wide as the ones along the midline. The ventral scales number 132–150 in males and 132–158 in females. The anal plate is single. The subcaudals are paired, numbering 32–46 in males and 23–38 in females. The colour pattern varies, ranging from very light-coloured specimens with small, incomplete, dark dorsal crossbars to entirely brown ones with faint or clear, darker brown markings, and on to melanistic individuals that are entirely dark and lack any apparent dorsal pattern. However, most have some kind of zigzag dorsal pattern down

1400-564: The Muráň fault. Both of them are comparatively homogeneous, as the Mesozoic sedimentary rocks such as dolomite and sandstone prevail. As they were built by carbonate rock prone to karstification, the character of the Slovenský raj mountains is that of a karstic plateau. The relatively flat and rather short mountains of the Slovenský raj mountains were lifted up in the Tertiary and Quaternary periods. This caused

1450-472: The Slovak Paradise, with the Hornád River being most important to the area. The core of the national park is a karst plateau cut into several smaller plateaux by deep rocky gorges. The most famous gorges are Veľký Sokol , which is also the longest at 4.5 km, Suchá Belá , Piecky , and Kyseľ , all of which have numerous waterfalls. Prielom Hornádu is the longest canyon at 11,7 km, and also contains

1500-554: The adults. In Hungary, mating takes place in the last week of April, whilst in the north it happens later (in the second week of May). Mating has also been observed in June and even early October, but it is not known if this autumn mating results in any offspring. Females often breed once every two years, or even once every three years if the seasons are short and the climate is not conducive. Males find females by following their scent trails, sometimes tracking them for hundreds of metres

1550-597: The ages, Vipera berus has a large number of common names in English, which include: In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the snake is known as hugorm , hoggorm and huggorm , roughly translated as 'striking snake'. In Finland, it is known as kyykäärme or simply kyy , in Estonia it is known as rästik , while in Lithuania it is known as angis . In Poland the snake is called żmija zygzakowata, which translates as 'zigzag viper', due to

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1600-412: The bite. The length of recovery varies, but may take up to a year. Local symptoms include immediate and intense pain, followed after a few minutes (but perhaps by as much as 30 minutes) by swelling and a tingling sensation. Blisters containing blood are not common. The pain may spread within a few hours, along with tenderness and inflammation. Reddish lymphangitic lines and bruising may appear, and

1650-480: The entire length of their bodies and tails. The head usually has a distinctive dark V or X on the back. A dark streak runs from the eye to the neck and continues as a longitudinal series of spots along the flanks. Unusually for snakes, it is often possible to distinguish the sexes by their colour. Females are usually brownish in hue with dark-brown markings, the males are pure grey with black markings. The basal colour of males will often be slightly lighter than that of

1700-445: The evening, and it may even be active at night during the summer months. It is predominantly a terrestrial species, although it has been known to climb up banks and into low bushes in order to bask or search for prey. Adders are not usually aggressive, tending to be rather timid and biting only when cornered or alarmed. People are generally bitten only after stepping on them or attempting to pick them up. They will usually disappear into

1750-516: The face, lips, gums, tongue, throat and epiglottis , urticaria and bronchospasm. If left untreated, these symptoms may persist or fluctuate for up to 48 hours. In severe cases, cardiovascular failure may occur. Adders were believed to be deaf, which is mentioned in Psalm 58 (v. 4), but snake oil made from them was used as a cure for deafness and earache. Females were thought to swallow their young when threatened and regurgitate them unharmed later. It

1800-536: The females, making the black zigzag pattern stand out. The melanistic individuals are often females. Vipera berus has a wide range. It can be found across the Eurasian land-mass; from northwestern Europe ( Great Britain , Belgium , Netherlands , Scandinavia , Germany , France ) across southern Europe ( Italy , Serbia , Albania , Croatia , Montenegro , Bosnia and Herzegovina , North Macedonia , Bulgaria , and northern Greece ) and eastern Europe to north of

1850-540: The few European snake species is present here, the European adder ; despite its venomous bite (and potential seriousness if left untreated), this snake generally avoids humans and large animals, only striking if provoked. Forty species of mammals are present, including the European brown bear , red fox , grey wolf , Eurasian lynx , European wildcat , red deer , roe deer , European fallow deer , Alpine chamois , European wild boar , marmot and marten . The National Park

1900-678: The first protected landscape area in Slovakia was established in the Slovak Paradise. The area was recategorized into a national park on 18 January 1988. In 2000 Dobšiná Ice Cave became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Parts of the park also belong to the Natura 2000 network since 2004. The National Park is situated in the Banská Bystrica Region (district of Brezno ), Prešov Region (district of Poprad ) and Košice Region (districts of Rožňava and Spišská Nová Ves ). The Slovak Paradise creates

1950-600: The general West Carpathians . The best known tourist centres and resorts are Čingov and Podlesok in the north, Dedinky in the south and the only tourist centre located inside the National Park, Kláštorisko , with ruins of the Carthusian monastery . The most visited places in the park are Dobšiná Ice Cave and the Suchá Belá Gorge. The park offers about 300 km of hiking trails and several bike trails. One of

2000-418: The greatest diversity of species. The highest waterfall is Závojový vodopád (literally Veil Waterfall) at 70 m. The largest water reservoir is Palcmanská Maša , finished in 1956, which covers an area of 0.85 km. It is used for swimming, water sports, fishing and other recreational activities. The highest peak is Predná hoľa , at 1,545m AMSL . Havrania skala (literally “raven rock”), at 1,153m, offers

2050-583: The local river network to erode and create narrow and deep valleys. The Slovak Paradise has the highest concentration of butterflies in Slovakia, with 6.06 butterflies per km, of more than 2100 varied species. These fall into the greater 4000 species of invertebrates at the park, along with 400 species of bugs and 150 species of mollusk . Kopanecké lúky (literally Kopanecké meadows) contains exceptionally rich biodiversity in vascular plants , with over 75 species in one m area. Vertebrates are represented by about 200 species, of which 130 are protected. One of

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2100-431: The males confront each other, raise up the front part of the body vertically, make swaying movements and attempt to push each other to the ground. This is repeated until one of the two becomes exhausted and crawls off to find another mate. Appleby (1971) notes that he has never seen an intruder win one of these contests, as if the frustrated defender is so aroused by courtship that he refuses to lose his chance to mate. There

2150-409: The most likely causes of the decline. The release of 47 million non-native pheasants and 10 million partridges each year by countryside estates has also been suggested to have a significant impact on adder populations across the UK, with the possibility the reptile could be extinct by 2032. This species is mainly diurnal , especially in the north of its range. Further south it is said to be active in

2200-737: The most visited routes is "Prielom Hornádu". In the northern part of the Slovak Paradise two main tourist centres of this region are situated: Čingov and Podlesok. They are connected by a 15 km long marked route, leading through the canyon along the Hornád river. Hiking trails Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.132 via cp1112 cp1112, Varnish XID 392305956 Upstream caches: cp1112 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:41:49 GMT European adder IMG_1254.jpeg (1) Vipera berus , also known as

2250-591: The nasal scale—but often smaller in females. Below the supraoculars are six to 13 (usually eight to 10) small circumorbital scales . The temporal scales are smooth (rarely weakly keeled). There are 10–12 sublabials and six to 10 (usually eight or 9) supralabials . Of the latter, the numbers 3 and 4 are the largest, while 4 and 5 (rarely 3 and 4) are separated from the eye by a single row of small scales (sometimes two rows in alpine specimens). Midbody there are 21 dorsal scales rows (rarely 19, 20, 22, or 23). These are strongly keeled scales , except for those bordering

2300-560: The northern part of the Spiš-Gemer Karst ( Spišsko-gemerský kras ). It is bordered by the Low Tatras ( Nízke Tatry ) in the west, central part of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains in the south ( Stolické vrchy and Volovské vrchy ) and the Hornád basin ( Hornádska kotlina ) in the north and north east. Rivers and streams have formed many gorges, canyons, valleys, caves, and waterfalls in

2350-462: The pattern on its back. Relatively thick-bodied, adults usually grow to 60 cm (24 in) in total length (including tail), with an average of 55 cm (22 in). Maximum size varies by region. The largest, at over 90 cm (35 in), are found in Scandinavia; specimens of 104 cm (41 in) have been observed there on two occasions. In France and Great Britain, the maximum size

2400-406: The undergrowth at a hint of any danger, but will return once all is quiet, often to the same spot. Occasionally, individual snakes will reveal their presence with a loud and sustained hissing, presumably to warn off potential aggressors. Often, these turn out to be pregnant females. When the adder is threatened, the front part of the body is drawn into an S-shape to prepare for a strike. The species

2450-604: The whole limb can become swollen and bruised within 24 hours. Swelling may also spread to the trunk, and with children, throughout the entire body. Necrosis and intracompartmental syndromes are very rare. Systemic symptoms resulting from anaphylaxis can be dramatic. These may appear within 5 minutes post bite, or can be delayed for many hours. Such symptoms include nausea, retching and vomiting, abdominal colic and diarrhoea, incontinence of urine and faeces, sweating, fever, vasoconstriction , tachycardia , lightheadedness, loss of consciousness, blindness, shock , angioedema of

2500-400: Was believed that they did not die until sunset. Remedies for adder "stings" included killing the snake responsible and rubbing the corpse or its fat on the wound, also holding a pigeon or chicken on the bite, or jumping over water. Adders were thought to be attracted to hazel trees and repelled by ash trees . Druids believed that large frenzied gatherings of adders occurred in spring, at

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