Life is too good.

So my mom was planning a trip overseas this summer, and she decided to travel to England so she could visit me at Oxford. We shared a meal and beer yesterday after class, and we agreed to meet up today for some herping.

After an hour-long 30-mile drive (label your fucking roads, England), we finally stumbled up the park that had been recommended to me by a researcher over here. While my mom took a potty break, I nabbed this thing (Natrix natrix) out of a small pond where it was hunting frogs:

But that wasn't what we drove all the way over to see. What I really wanted was an Adder--GB's only venomous snake. I was informed that they come out of hibernation in March, aggregate to reproduce in April, and disperse in May...just in time for me to NOT find one. Still, it seemed worth a shot.

Less than five minutes into our walk around this beautiful place...

...I heard a rusting in the brush and went to grab (what I was sure would be) a lizard. Much to my surprise and delight, this jaw-droppingly-handsome Adder (Vipera berus) was staring back at me.

Wow. Wow. Wowowow. This high is going to last days.