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Wildlife experts have moved to reassure dog owners in Mansfield and Ashfield over the risk of snake bites.

It comes after a Facebook post claimed a dog walker at The Lawns, Sutton, said her dog was bitten by an adder, Britain’s only venomous snake.

It is currently adders’ breeding season – they hibernate from October to March, but begin to emerge as the weather gets warmer.

While the species are not aggressive, the creatures may bite if they feel threatened.

According to the Wildlife Trust, adders, which are a protected species, are relatively small, stocky snakes and prefer woodland, heathland and moorland habitat. Photo: Pixabay.

Their bite is rarely fatal to humans, although adder bites have killed dogs in some cases.

However, the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust said there have been no verifiable sightings of adder in the county for “almost 20 years” and it is “likely they are locally extinct”, putting at ease the county’s many dog walkers and nature lovers.

Erin McDaid, trust head of communications, said: “While we don’t doubt this incident was distressing, we’re a little confused and concerned about the bite being attributed to an adder, as there have been no verifiable sightings of adder in the county for almost 20 years.

“Despite this, there have been a number of reported adder bites in the headlines over the past few years and we’re concerned this might cause unnecessary panic among dog owners and families visiting green spaces.

“Whilst The Lawns is a sizable park, and not too far from Sherwood Forest habitat where adders would be most likely to be found, it is in quite a built-up area, making it even more unlikely that whatever bit or stung the the dog was an adder.”

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To help identify the snakes, the trust has encouraged people to take photos.

Mr McDaid said: “Adders are a natural part of our landscape and should be present in Nottinghamshire, but sadly it looks likely they have become locally extinct. If people do think they’ve seen one, it would be helpful to take photos with their phone.

“While adders are venomous, the chances of being bitten are extremely small, and in most cases bites pose no real risk.

“As with any bite or sting, there is always a possibility of an adverse reaction and we’d always encourage people to seek medical advice if they have concerns – but we wouldn’t want people to be scared of native wildlife unnecessarily.”

Move to reassure residents after claims dog was bitten by snake in Sutton park