Daniel Majer unexpectedly caught sight of the reptile when he was out walking around a “lesser known part of Bawsey that only himself and a few dog walkers use”.
On Tuesday at around 3:30 pm, the dog walker, who is from King’s Lynn, came across the adder.
The black adder was spotted in Bawsey(Image: Daniel Majer)
“I wasn’t expecting it to be there and almost stepped on it,” he said. “Luckily, it started hissing and moving, so I knew to back off.
“I have seen adders before, but never a black one. I was very pleased, as it is supposed to be a very rare sighting.
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“At first, I was in shock, but I knew it would rather just move away than attack me.”
A black adder is a melanistic variant of the common European adder.
Adders are the UK’s only venomous snake(Image: Daniel Majer)
It is recognised by its dark zig-zag pattern, which is still visible on the black skin and a red eye.
Adders are the UK’s only venomous snake, but their venom is generally of little harm to humans and they would rather hide in the undergrowth than bite.
The reptile shares its name with that of the hit series Blackadder.
The main character, Edmund, adopts the title “The Black Adder” during the first episode, which relates to his cunning, deceitful and cowardly traits.