It's not because of Saint Patrick. For one, it’s an island. But there are other reasons you won't find snakes in Ireland.
Legend has it that, back in the fifth century, St. Patrick exterminated Ireland’s snakes by driving them into the sea. He would appear to have done a thorough job because Ireland is free of native snakes to this day. Except, Ireland never actually had snakes. So, if snakes can be found almost everywhere else the world—from Australia to the Arctic Circle—what makes Ireland so special? The world distribution of snakes. Map: Eightofnine For one, it’s an island. The Irish Sea is 50-plus miles wide.
Image: DepositPhotos Other islands that don't have snakes include New Zealand, Hawaii, Greenland, Iceland, and Antarctica. Still, the absence of snakes does seem somewhat miraculous, given the global pet trade and the serpents' potential to become invasive. In Guam, the invasive brown tree snake has become so pervasive, decimating the island's native bird and lizard populations, that local authorities have resorted to desperate measures to try to eradicate the slithering fiends.
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