Huge snakes spotted and snapped on Cannock Chase

After years of trying, the 34-year-old teacher finally found what he was looking for.

The Cannock Chase resident said: "Getting a picture of the adder is something I've been doing for years and years. I went out deliberately looking for them.

"They're very elusive, but they're also the only venomous snake we've got in the country which makes them a bit of a mystery.

"A lot of people fear them. There's a slight risk to dogs in particular. They'd give a nasty bite to humans, but I don't think they'd kill them.

"As long as you respect them, you shouldn't have any problems."

Lee, who teaches at Birmingham Metropolitan College, said the two he'd managed to photograph were both male.

"They've got lovely markings on them," he added.

"It feels very good to finally have managed to get a picture. I was very excited the day I got them, but I almost didn't. I didn't have my camera at the time, so I had to rush home and get it. Luckily they were still there.

"The adders themselves are a lot smaller than you'd think. They look bigger in the pictures, but they're nothing like the ones you get in the zoos."

Lee took the picture on his Nikon D7100, which he uses for a variety of wildlife photography. He's a regular visitor to Cannock Chase.

"It's a great way to relax, to be surrounded by nature.

"Cannock Chase is one of the last bits of green space in the Midlands, at least on that scale. You've got to travel a long way to go anywhere that compares.

"I photograph any type of wildlife I can find. As the seasons change, you've got different wildlife. Snakes you only see over the summer period, whereas the deer are more interesting in the autumn.

"My next plan is to photograph some skylarks that have been nesting on Cannock Chase. That's a fairly scarce bird, so I'd like to get some pictures of them."