The lack of snakes on Ireland (see “St. Patrick and the Snakes“) brings to mind another island with a very different snake situation. Ilha de Queimada Grande is a small island off the coast of Brazil to which the Brazilian Navy forbids visits. The reason: snakes. The island is the only home to the Golden Lancehead viper. This pit viper possesses [...]

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While most of us are familiar with the story of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland (no, not in his Toyota Camry), there is no evidence that there were any snakes in Ireland for him to drive out. In fact, there is only one land reptile species native to Ireland; the common lizard.

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