2006-12-28 08:07:20 · 7 answers · asked by adlan85 1 in Environment
Short answer: Because they can't swim and don't like the cold. Nope, nothing to do with St. Patrick.
Ireland isn't the only island without native snakes. New Zealand doesn't have any either (although it had a snaky reptile 20 million years ago). The only snakes near Hawaii are elusive sea snakes, and the island is pretty serious about keeping out the land varieties. We hear that Greenland and Antarctica are snake-free as well.
Without flippers or boats, snakes have a hard time migrating across oceans. While some islands were once part of larger land masses or connected by land bridges, cold weather and bad timing have conspired to keep snakes away from the green hills of Eire.
Researchers believe that snakes evolved about 100 million years ago on the super-continent Gondwanaland, which slowly broke into Antarctica, South America, Africa, India, and Australia. That helped snakes get around the world, although at that time, Ireland was still under the sea. As the waters receded, snakes found new and exciting homes, but not in Ireland.
Snakes are cold-blooded creatures, and they can't knit cozy sweaters to survive in Ireland's chill. The country was covered by glaciers for ages, and it only thawed about 15,000 years ago. By then, no land bridges existed between England and Ireland, so any snakes pining for a Guinness were trapped in the land of fish and chips.
2006-12-28 08:15:45 · answer #1 · answered by maxie 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, First of all GREAT QUESTION!!!!! While I was on my trip using my "talk to animals 3000" I asked a snake why they don't like it in Ireland they hissed back "The people there are too happy peppy about St. Patty's day.. They also have too much green everywhere, which scares us away.. We WOULD go there if someone was to take us in, slow thier roll on St. Patty's day AND change the green to a darkeer color" There you go, staright out of the snake's mouth.
-Your fellow scientist,
Ishmeal Robbins
(my fake name so people wouldn't want to get cloned and travel back in time)
2006-12-28 17:38:25 · answer #2 · answered by I'm not strange, just unique 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
St Patrick chased them out of Ireland.
2006-12-28 16:10:09 · answer #3 · answered by carole 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aye lad there are a few just not of the reptilian type. We all have a snicker about this, but few understand why. Google more ta find sources other than my key source. Would like to post more references, but ya know the time not right to get inta an argument. Have a very Happy New Year, though it be many hours afor I have mine.
2006-12-28 16:26:23 · answer #4 · answered by lin 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
when st patrick put them out of ireland
2006-12-28 16:18:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Duh to the previous answers, there are no snakes because Ireland was cut off from the mainland before snakes could get here. They have no legs, its not like they could have run or anything.
2006-12-28 16:16:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
St. Patrick, duh!
2006-12-28 16:14:20 · answer #7 · answered by Jill&Justin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋