You can’t always judge a viper by its color

Jet-black “hell adders” are not as toxic as their reputation suggests

For centuries, myths and fairytales from European folklore have warned of the danger of the common adder (Vipera berus), a venomous viper known for its painful—although not particularly dangerous—bite. One superstition has remained remarkably persistent even in the modern era: that fully back, or melanistic, snakes are more toxic than their multihued counterparts, a reputation that has earned them the nickname “hell adders.”

But new research suggests you can’t necessarily judge a viper by its color. A comparison of the venom from melanistic and regularly colored adders found the difference between the two was negligible for snakebite victims

In terms of geographical range, the common adder may be “the most successful snake on Earth. It can be found in a huge variety of habitats all over Europe and East Asia, and bites occur relatively frequently.

That massive range is in part due to the adder’s ability to withstand low temperatures. The common adder is one of only two venomous snakes in Germany and the only snake known to live north of the Arctic Circle.