Dreads wild snakes (6)

I believe the answer is:

adders

'snakes' is the definition.
(adder is a kind of snake)

'dreads wild' is the wordplay.
'wild' is an anagram indicator.
'dreads' is an anagram of 'ADDERS'.

(Other definitions for adders that I've seen before include "Re Dad's snakes" , "Arithmetic snakes?" , "Totting snakes" , "Totting 25 down?" , "Poisonous snakes" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard and The Mirror.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.