Is it true that there are no snakes or rabbits in Ireland?

Show all answers

epbr123

The most recent ice age began about three million years ago and continues into the present. Between warm periods like the current climate, glaciers have advanced and retreated more than 20 times, often completely blanketing Ireland with ice. Snakes, being cold-blooded animals, simply aren't able to survive in areas where the ground is frozen year round. Ireland thawed out for the last time only 15,000 years ago. Since then, 12 miles of icy-cold water in the Northern Channel have separated Ireland from neighboring Scotland, which does harbor a few species of snakes. There are no snakes in Ireland for the simple reason that they can't get there.

mo the man

no snakes since st patrick got rid of them,but now there are because stupid people let them out, as for rabbits only 3 legged ones

Hotdog

Leprachauns chopped off all the rabbit's foot for lucky charms..

Smokeabella

There are no snakes as the story goes that St. Patrick drove them out!
There are plenty of rabbits, although the myxomatosis nearly took them all in the 80s.

rachael g

not sure about snakes but there are many rabbits in ireland.

rachael.millymoohead

i live in ireland and there are rabbits EVERYWHERE

because there LOADS of countryside

but hardly any snakes only little ones that are harmless and not very many at all

thanks for taking an interest in ireland =)

oif1983

There are probably more rabbits here than people!! And we all breed like them! As for snakes? St. Patrick drove them out of the country and across the water where they all joined the British army. One even went on to become the first female snake prime minister of England!

cherub

no snakes in the wild. plenty of rabbits.

There are rabbits, and snakes here as pets, they are not roaming freely although there are a few garden like snakes.

jas

No there are in fact many rabbits in Ireland, and few varieties of small snakes, all of which are pretty harmless. There is a well known stigma in Ireland regarding rabbits as they are thought to be unlucky, however this is a myth depending on your own views

Jeremy M

There are rabbits but there aren't any snakes.

Why is it hard to believe?

Zoey

They sent them to your house

purple diamond

Legend has it that St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland. Sometime back in the fifth century he stood on a hill, the story goes, and used a staff to herd the slithering creatures into the sea, banishing them for eternity. It's true, aside from zoos and pets, there are no snakes on the emerald isle. In fact, there never were any snakes in Ireland. This state of affairs probably has more to do with the vagaries of geography than any neat tricks performed by St. Patty.
Snakes, being cold-blooded animals, simply aren't able to survive in areas where the ground is frozen year round. Ireland thawed out for the last time only 15,000 years ago. Since then, 12 miles of icy-cold water in the Northern Channel have separated Ireland from neighboring Scotland, which does harbor a few species of snakes. There are no snakes in Ireland for the simple reason that they can't get there.

as for rabbits there s loads

Pirate of the Basein Creek

Yes, they ate them all.

MaryC O

Lots of snakes in Dal (our government)

Sir Sidney Snot

Heard of snakes but RABBITS? They must have rabbits!

drukazoo

nope

suek

rabbits-yes my sister has 2,
no snakes though, sure didnt st patrick chase them all out of ireland

be happy

ders tonnes of rabbits but no native snake only pet ones

Rachel Maria

We didn't have an indigenous snake population here but, because of silly people who get them as pets and then let them escape, I heard that's about to change. Because of climate change it is now warm enough in Ireland for snakes to thrive. This makes my skin crawl.PLEASE keep your snakes in their boxes!

Gritty Shaker

There are rabbits a plenty in ireland but no snakes, cept as pets... Apparently some bloke in austailia bought and shipped a load of irish soil to his sheep farm in oz, something to do with snakes not being able to live on it... Dunno how true this actually is tho...

Trish D

No snakes but lots of rabbits.

no. in Hawaii there are no snakes or squirrels !

Belmar

No snakes here but loads of rabbits

PAULA C

there are certainly rabbits in ireland

Laura Lou

There are lots of little rabbits hopping around, but no snakes - only pet ones, cos St Patrick chased them away all those years ago..

Snarphman

There are no snakes here but theres loads of rabbits. Rabbits aren't native to Ireland though, they were brought here by the Vikings or something. The Irish word for rabbit, coinin, is the same as the Danish word for rabbit I think.

Garnet

there are no snakes just going around but unfortunately you can buy them as pets
there are tons of wild rabbits in the country and loads of people buy them as pets

Jon B

I've seen a snake here.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: