The distribution and status of the adder (Vipera berus L.) in Scotland determined from questionnaire surveys

C. J. Reading*, S. T. Buckland, G. M. Mcgowan, G. Jayasinghe, S. Gorzula, D. Bauharry

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

During 1992 two questionnaire surveys, aimed at farmers and sections of the general public, were conducted to determine the distribution and status of the adder (Vipera berus L.) in Scotland. In total, 94% of the Scottish mainland arid inner isles were covered by the two surveys. The adder appears to be widespread throughout Scotland, although it is absent from much of the Central Valley, the Outer Hebrides and Northern Isles, and from much of the mountainous region between Inverness and Glasgow. The distribution of the adder in Scotland was compared with the distributions of different habitat types defined in the ITE Land Class survey. Adders were strongly associated with areas of heterogeneous land use and negatively associated with intensively arable areas and rugged mountainous areas. Strong evidence was found to suggest that perceived adder abundance had declined during the last 10 years. Although the evidence suggesting that the distribution of adders in Scotland had changed was less strong, the results of the Farm Survey did indicate that it had contracted. The perceived change in status of the adder in Scotland during the last 10 years was compared with the observed changes in land use over the same period.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)657-667
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Biogeography
Volume23
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 1996

Keywords

  • adder
  • Distribution
  • Scotland
  • status
  • Vipera berus

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The distribution and status of the adder (Vipera berus L.) in Scotland determined from questionnaire surveys'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this