Adder spotted at Bradnor Hill, near Kington, Herefordshire

Robert Pritchard snapped the adder at Bradnor Hill, near Kington.

Adders are the UK's only venomous snake, however they are not regarded as especially dangerous are usually only bite if provoked, stepped on, or picked up. Bites can be very painful, but are extremely unlikely to be fatal.

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Mr Pritchard said that he had lived on the hill for around 20 years, and during that time had probably only seen about half a dozen adders.  

"They are beautiful creatures and aren't aggressive but get out of one's way if possible," he said.

"This one did give me the evil eye before slithering away. The strangest incident involving an adder up here was when a group of us were playing the 14th hole and arrived on the green to find an adder curled up asleep by the flag. 

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"I lived in Africa for years so was more used to mambas and spitting cobra."

According to the RSPCA, adders avoid humans wherever possible.

A spokesperson said: "Snakes are extremely shy creatures and will try to move away from disturbance - if you come across a snake our advice would always be to enjoy watching these secretive animals from a distance and never try to pick one up.

"The majority of bites occur when a snake is disturbed or deliberately antagonised.

"Death from adder bites is extremely rare in humans as the venom is not very potent (no one has died from adder bite in Britain for over 20 years), but bites are painful and can become more serious if left untreated."