The adder, Britain's only venomous snake, is declining across its range due to habitat fragmentation, persecution, and mortality from vehicles and domestic animals.
Adder welfare is compromised by direct persecution, domestic animal predation, and road mortality. Individual adders caught by dogs suffer biting injuries that can be fatal, while adders killed on roads may experience prolonged distress if not immediately killed. The illegal killing of adders, motivated by fear, continues at sites across Britain. Education about adder ecology and behaviour - they are shy, non-aggressive, and will retreat from humans - is the most important welfare intervention, reducing the fear-driven killing that costs individual animals their lives.