Legend tells that St Patrick rid snakes from Ireland's shores as he converted its peoples from paganism during the fifth century A.D.The Christian missionary supposedly chased the reptiles into the sea after they began attacking him during a 40-day fast he undertook on top of a hill.
An unlikely tale, but Ireland is one of only a handful of places worldwide — including New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland, and Antarctica — which have no snakes.
St. Patrick had nothing to do with Ireland's snake-free status, scientists say.
Most scientists point to the most recent ice age, which kept the island too cold for reptiles until it ended 10,000 years ago. After the ice age, surrounding seas may have kept snakes from colonizing the Emerald Isle.
Source: National Geographic
