Spring awakening of adders in Finland: Understanding and appreciating these sensitively classified species

The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation has urged people to treat snakes with curiosity and calmness. As part of the Spring Monitoring program, snakes, such as the adder, are observed as they emerge from hibernation in the spring. Adders can be seen basking in the sun, preparing to shed their skin, after which the mating season begins. Male adders wake up in the spring earlier than females, and they can sometimes be observed wrestling with one another.