Ophidiophobics (that's those who fear snakes) might want to stop reading now, as it's been reported that venomous snakes are invading our UK beaches.
Over the bank holiday weekend, a woman and a dog were bitten by venomous adder snakes in two unrelated incidents.
Firstly, an unnamed woman was bitten by the reptile in sand dunes behind Woolacombe beach in North Devon on Sunday.
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Devon Live report that after she was bitten, lifeguards ran to the woman's side as they waited for paramedics to arrive and treat her.
When the emergency services reached the woman, they removed the reptile's venom from her body, potentially saving her life.
A Royal National Lifeboat Institution spokesman said: "She approached the lifeguard facility where lifeguards immobilised her, kept her calm and monitored her condition before handing her into the care of paramedics."
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On a separate occasion, a dog nearly died after stepping on a snake on a path near Swansea in Wales. The dog spent two days in hospital recovering afterwards, and fortunately survived, the Daily Star reports.
Adders are the only venomous snakes native to the UK are their habitats generally include heathland, moorland, coastal dunes and disused quarries and railway embankments, according to the Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
Spotting an adder is easy due to their distinct marking: both males and females have a distinctive dark zigzag pattern along their backs, with a row of dark spots along both flanks.
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Adders tend to emerge from hibernation between March and April which is likely why the snakes are beginning to pop up on our UK beaches.
Although adders' venom is poisonous, it is only designed to kill small mammals such as rodents due to its low potency. Any cases of human bites are generally down to the animal feeling under attack and there have been no human fatalities as a result of adder bites reported in the last two decades.
However, if you are unluckily enough to be attacked by an adder, it should be treated as a medical emergency and you should call 999.
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While waiting, the NHS advise to try to keep the bitten area as still as possible to avoid the venom spreading around the body, and remove any jewellery that could cut into the skin if it swells.
If someone you're with is bitten by a snake, do not attempt to suck the venom out, cut it out or make it bleed. Also do not put anything around the bitten limb to stop the spread of venom as it could make it worse.
Featured Image Credit: PA