A juvenile and non-venomous Viperine Snake. This species is quite common, especially near water, and often mistaken for the less common and venomous Asp Viper.
In Europe, even if you are bitten by the most venomous snake species you are unlikely to die if you are a healthy adult, even without medical treatment. The last person to die in France from snakebite was well over a decade ago, and before that, a similar time gap. If you want to avoid sudden death you are much better off avoiding travelling anywhere by car. Which is not to say that if you are bitten by a venomous snake it isn't extremely painful, and you should indeed seek medical treatment. If you are bitten by a non-venomous snake disinfect the bite thoroughly because they carry streptococcus. Neither event is very likely unless you are handling the snake, which is illegal unless you have a licence. Always call your local herpetological group if you need a snake moved. They can advise, identify the snake accurately and usually provide a service to capture and relocate.
A juvenile and non-venomous Western Whip Snake. This is our only snake species which is expanding its range and not declining in numbers.
Here in the Touraine we have a volunteer group who are always on hand to help with snake related matters if you call them. They are called SOS Serpents and their phone number is 06 16 10 02 13 if you are in the Sud Touraine. Nine times out of ten if you encounter a snake here it will be a non-venomous species.
A mature Western Whip Snake. This is the species you are most likely to encounter.
A mature and venomous Asp Viper. I was within a few metres of the snake to take this photo and at no time did it attempt to threaten me.
If, by any chance, you are with someone who is bitten by an Asp Viper, the steps to take are simple. Lay the victim down and keep them as comfortable and calm as possible. If bitten on the arm or hand, remove rings, because the fingers will swell alarmingly. Call for medical help by dialing 15. But suction techniques should never be used, even with the help of devices that can be found in pharmacies. Compression bandages are also no longer recommended.
Whilst the risk of being bitten is never completely nil, it is very rare. Fewer than 400 cases of venomous snake bite a year are reported throughout the whole of France. Nobody has died for many years (if you discount hundreds of needless and illegal snake killings). The Pays de Loire, to our west, is the area where the most bites by venomous snakes occur, with about 70 people presenting every year at the antipoison centre in Angers. Snakes in the Loire Valley are out and about from April to October. In the colder months they hibernate.
If you live in France you may be told that some time in the last quarter of the 20th century there was a government programme to air drop boxes of live snakes into the countryside because ecologists were worried about their declining numbers. Needless to say, this story is utter tosh and nonsense.
Further reading:
My page on the Western Whip Snake http://loirenature.blogspot.com/2014/10/western-whip-snake-hierophis.html
My page on the Asp Viper https://loirenature.blogspot.fr/2016/11/asp-viper-vipera-aspis.html
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