Could Ireland’s ecosystems cope if we introduced St. Patrick’s scaly foes?

Date: March 17, 2016

Source: Trinity College Dublin

The legend of St. Patrick banishing snakes from the emerald isle some 1,500 years ago is indelibly etched in folklore -- even if science suggests snakes were unlikely to have colonized the country following the last ice age. But what would happen if St. Patrick's scaly foes were introduced now? Experts believe snakes could certainly slither into Ireland's ecosystems if introduced but would likely cause trouble for native ecosystems.

The legend of St. Patrick banishing snakes from the emerald isle some 1,500 years ago is indelibly etched in folklore -- even if science suggests snakes were unlikely to have colonized the country following the last ice age.

But what would happen if St. Patrick's scaly foes were introduced now? Would Ireland's native wildlife sink or swim?

Experts from Trinity College Dublin believe snakes could certainly slither into Ireland's ecosystems if introduced but would likely cause trouble for native ecosystems. There are enough troublesome pests in Ireland today, such as the introduced New Zealand flatworm, which people would like to send on its merry way with some modern-day St. Patrick-style sorcery.

Associate researcher in Trinity's School of Natural Sciences, Collie Ennis, is a snake expert. He said: "If you look across the water, the UK has very similar environmental conditions to ours and snakes fit right in. Native animals that would not have evolved around snakes as predators would be lost if snakes were introduced here but snakes could probably persist."

Interestingly, a number of attempts have been made to introduce grass snakes, one of three species that are native to Britain, over the past 100 years. Until recently, grass snakes could even be bought in pet shops throughout the land.

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