Adder

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/adder

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Vipera berus
2. What is the diet?Carnivore; primarily small mammals (voles, mice), but also lizards, amphibians, and birds
3. What does an adder look like and where does it live?The adder has a shiny black body with a bright zigzag stripe across its back. It lives in many places in Europe and Asia, from the UK to Russia and Mongolia, especially in open woodlands, heathlands, and rocky hills.
4. How does an adder catch its food?Adders wait near a good spot and then strike quickly when a small animal like a vole or mouse comes close. They use their venom to make the prey easy to swallow.

Cryptic Coloration: Body coloring or patterns that help an animal blend in with its surroundings for camouflage.
Hemotoxic Venom: Venom that primarily damages blood cells, blood vessels, and tissues.
Habitat Fragmentation: The process by which large, continuous habitats are broken down into smaller, isolated patches.