Britain, which had a land bridge to mainland Europe until about 6, years ago, was colonized by three snake species: the venomous adder, the grass snake, and the smooth snake. But Ireland's land link to Britain was cut some 2, years earlier by seas swollen by the melting glaciers, Monaghan noted. Animals that reached Ireland before the sea became an impassible barrier included brown bears , wild boars, and lynxes —but "snakes never made it," he said. Mark Ryan, director of the Louisiana Poison Center at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, agreed that the timing wasn't right for the sensitive, cold-blooded reptiles to expand their range.
Other reptiles didn't make it either, except for one: the common or viviparous lizard. Ireland's only native reptile, the species must have arrived within the last 10, years, according to Monaghan. Scholars suggest the tale is allegorical. Serpents are symbols of evil in Judeo-Christian beliefs—the Bible, for example, portrays a snake as the hissing agent of Adam and Eve's fall from grace.
The animals were also linked to heathen practices—so St. Patrick's dramatic act of snake eradication can be seen as a metaphor for his Christianizing influence. Anyone in Ireland looking for serpents to exile would probably have to settle for the slow worm, a non-native species of legless lizard that is often mistaken for a small snake.
First recorded in the early s, the species is thought to have been deliberately introduced in western Ireland in the s, according to Ireland's National Parks and Wildlife Service. However the reptile doesn't appear to have spread beyond a wildlife-rich limestone region in County Clare known as the Burren. Pet snakes deliberately released by their owners would be the most likely source, though they wouldn't be welcome. Invasive snakes such as the brown tree snake have already wreaked havoc in Guam and other island ecosystems, he added.
Patrick," Kacprzyk said. All rights reserved. An unlikely tale, perhaps—yet Ireland is unusual for its absence of native snakes. But St. Patrick had nothing to do with Ireland's snake-free status, scientists say. So what did happen? Left Behind Once the ice caps and woolly mammoths retreated back northward, snakes returned to northern and western Europe , spreading as far as the Arctic Circle.
So unless St. Patrick couldn't tell a snake from a lizard, where does the legend come from? Photo Galleries. About Us. Get stories that empower and uplift daily. See our other FREE newsletters. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy. Select free newsletters: The Weekender. Today's Highlights. Christian Science Perspective. Science Notebook. A Google Doodle Tuesday celebrates St. Patrick's Day March 17, By Chris Gaylord Staff writer venturenaut. Patrick, one who could make the legend a reality.
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Take our quiz In Pictures Google Doodles you'll never see. Copy link Link copied. Mark Sappenfield Editor. Subscribe to insightful journalism. Renew subscription Return to the free version of the site. We logged you out. Log in again Return to the free version of the site. Though the brown tree snake was accidentally brought to Guam, new snake species are being introduced to Ireland on purpose.
Because if Guam is any example, if snakes ever do take hold in Ireland, it would take a lot more than a wave of St. Brighstoneus simmondsi has a big lump around the nostrils, like a chunky alligator.
The harsh, unpredictable sound shares features of mammal and bird alarm calls. The fleshy creatures were 'hermiting' even before hermit crabs. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights.
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