Studland Heath
is home to all six species of British reptile,
including our three native snakes,
the grass snake, the smooth snake
and the venomous adder

Deer Ticks

Deer ticks are small and dark-coloured and feed mostly on deer, cattle, and other large animals, but they will feed on people when they get a chance.

The ticks live along paths, trails, and roadways and may inflict a painful bite.

Deer ticks can carry the Lyme disease bacteria in their systems. This tick-transmitted bacterial disease is most likely to be contracted in the summer months when people are outdoors.

Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics administered orally. Read more at NHS Direct or The Lyme Disease Foundation.

Adders

The only poisonous snake in the UK is the adder. They are not aggressive creatures and will only bite if they are disturbed. It's easy to mistake a smooth snake for an adder as they are superficially similar - especially if you only get a quick look.

The best distinguishing features are the scales as shown in the beginners guide below. For more detail on adders, including where they are more likely to be seen, read Adders and what to do if bitten. Also see what to do if your dog is bitten

Adder	Smooth Snake	Grass Snake
Dark zigzag stripe down their back from grey to almost black. Background colouration is a light shade of grey or brown.	Smooth snakes appear more slender than adders. Incomplete dark brown or black pattern in two rows along the back with grey-brown background colouration.	Grass snakes have black spots along the body which is a green-grey in colour.
Adder Scales	Smooth Snake Scales	Grass Snake Scales
Has strongly keeled (rigged) scales often 'dull' in appearance.	Identified by extremely smooth and polished scales.	Longitudinally ridged scales
Adder Head	Smooth Snake Head	Grass Snake Head
Flat head with dark V-shape pointing between the slanted oval eyes. Slit cat-like pupil.	Head widens behind the eyes, which have round pupils.	Light green, yellow or orange markings form collar on the neck. A grass snake's eyes are almost circular.

Weever Fish

This fish, commonly found around Britain's coasts lies buried in sand close to the shoreline, so is easily trodden on. Venomous spines on its gill covers and dorsal fin puncture the skin causing an extremely painful local reaction.

What to do if stung

To inactivate the venom put the injured part in water as hot as you can bear for at least 30 minutes. Top up the water as it cools, being careful not to scald. The Knoll Beach visitor centre provide hot water for this purpose and are used to treating casualties.

It should not be necessary to go to hospital unless spines are clearly visible in the wound. Provided hot water treatment is applied quickly, the pain wears off within 30-45 minutes and there should be no lasting effects.

Editor's note: Weever and similar fish are common around the coast of France and Northern Spain where local folklore recommends urinating on the sting. If you can't get hot water it may be worth a try. Another treatment some say is effective is vinegar. We have no first hand reports or experience of these methods, let us know if you do!