Today's trip to my field, which is only 3 km away from my house, could have ended dangerously. Every field in our area is fenced with stones because that's how the old people used to do it, including my late grandfather. When the sun is out at this time of year, snakes come out to bask on the stones. In our case, it was one of the most venomous snakes in Europe, called the Nose-horned Viper.
It has a distinctive horn on its head which you can see, though maybe a bit blurry because the photo was taken from about 3 meters away. It was calm, likely because it didn't feel threatened. This snake can grow up to 1.7 meters long, but they say that the young ones that have just hatched contain more venom than the larger ones.
The venom of this snake is quite dangerous here because antivenom is not always available. Large doses of antibiotics, blood thinners, and of course, large doses of painkillers are administered because the bite is said to be extremely painful, and the affected area can hurt for months after the bite. The consequences can even last for years.
Since my wife is deathly afraid of snakes, having a phobia, and I wasn't entirely comfortable either, we just turned around and went home without picking any cherries. After all, it's more important to stay safe.
