BRITS have been warned after 12 dangerous snakes have been spotted in just one area of the UK.
Dog owners in particular have been urged to take care after 12 adders have been spotted in the North East of England in a number of popular walking locations so far this year.
So far, snakes have been seen in Consett, Stanhope, Battersby and near Edmundbyers.
While the number of adder bites tend to rise around this time of year, experts say people are often unsure what they should do if they come into contact with one of the native snakes.
British adders have distinctive markings with males usually having a silvery-grey colour while females can be copper or brown.
While both males and females have a black zig-zag pattern on their backs, Brits also need to know that fully black adders also exist.
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The Woodland Trust says they can measure between 60 to 80 cm, fully grown.
Adders are the UK’s only venomous snake but their bite generally poses little danger to humans and in most cases causes some pain and inflammation.
The severity of the effects depends on a person’s weight, health, age and whereabouts they were bitten.
Symptoms of a bite can develop fairly quickly, within one or two hours, with signs of dizziness, swelling and discolouration of the skin where a person was bitten.
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However, the bite can be very dangerous to the very young, ill or elderly.
Anyone bitten should seek medical advice if a person’s condition worsens.
Dogs who are bitten can also show symptoms which can include pain or swelling around the affected area, as well as limping.
More serious signs include pale gums, panting, drooling and vomiting as well as diarrhoea.
In life threatening cases, dogs may show swelling around the neck and face, weakness or wobbling, severe bruising and difficulty with their breathing and could possibly collapse.
Anyone bitten by an adder should remain calm, according to the NHS advice, as most snake bite cases in the UK are not serious.
An affected person should keep the part of their body where they have been bitten as still as possible and lie in the recovery position and take paracetamol for the pain.
If possible, people are advised to remember the colour pattern of the snake so docs can treat the bite better.
Anyone bitten should also take off any jewellery and loosen clothing around the bite area in case of swelling.
People are also advised to stay away from the snake and avoid trying to suck the poison out of the bite wound.
They should also avoid taking aspirin or ibuprofen as they could make the bleeding worse.
If you or anyone you know has been bitten by a snake you should call 999 or visit A&E as soon as possible.
If your dog has been bitten, owners are advised to stay calm in order to help their furry friend, according to the experts at the Kennel Club.
As with humans, it helps if you can remember what the snake looked like or take a photo if possible.
Owners should keep their pooch as still as possible as this helps prevent the venom from spreading and you should avoid touching the bite, even if you are applying bandage or dressing.
It’s best to contact your vet to tell them what has happened before taking them in.
In April, dog owners were also warned about the dangers adders pose to dogs after a pup narrowly avoided serious injury after being bitten while out for a walk in Essex.
The RSPCA and other charities have highlighted a surge in the spread of Britain's abandoned snakes and other reptiles.
Up to 100 adder bites on humans are reported each year.
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The last person to die of an adder bite in the UK was in 1975 when a five-year-old boy was attacked in Scotland.
But an eight-year-old girl had to be rushed to hospital a year ago after being bitten by an adder during an Easter picnic with her family in Staffordshire.
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