Answer

By Country Walking magazine

The adder is Britain's only venomous snake but they are shy and not at all
aggressive. Around 60 adder bites are reported in an average year, but virtually every incident involves someone who was deliberately handling the snake at the
time. The last recorded death from an adder bite was 30 years ago.

For an answer to this particular question, we spoke to Steve Palmer, Wildlife Ranger for the Forestry Commission in the North York Moors and a keen geocacher himself.
He told us: "While I can appreciate the concern - ­ it's very sensible -­ I don't think there's huge potential for trouble because when snakes hibernate, they go very deep - far deeper than a geocache would ever be placed. They don't want any exposure to the open air. Geocaches should always be placed in plain sight or just behind a surface obstacle like a loose stone, so they will always be far closer to the surface than a hibernating snake.

"If a snake was disturbed by someone either planting or discovering a geocache, it would hide deep and wait for the danger to pass rather than darting out.

"That's the key thing with adders - they're shy, they don't want trouble and the defensive bite is a last resort after clear warnings.

"If you're particularly worried by the hiding place, rattle a stick inside it first and stand back. If a snake is inside, it will likely go deeper, but if it does come out it won't be with fangs ready - it'll just be making a dash to escape."

The bite itself is not severely painful (it has been likened to a bramble scratch) and the effects of the venom may not be felt for an hour or more. The bitten area may become swollen and you may lose feeling in your fingertips. Nausea and dizziness may follow, so don't try and drive afterwards.

The simplest advice is to seek medical help immediately, no matter how apparently harmless the bite. Keep the affected arm immobile and call an ambulance. There has been conflicting advice on the usefulness of sucking the wound; some accounts say it is helpful to suck the wound and spit out the venom (the venom only affects the bloodstream, so it's harmless if swallowed accidentally).

However, the British Medical Journal advises you to do nothing except keep the affected limb immobile (and your whole body if possible). Bandages and tourniquets should not be applied as they may cause complications.

However, as a final reassurance, Steve points out that he has tracked down more than 120 caches without ever encountering a snake of any kind.