WE ALL KNOW that St Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland.
That is to say, we all know there were never any snakes in Ireland and the first mention of snakes in relation to St. Patrick may have happened as recently as 100 years ago and had nothing to do with Paganism.
But, what if all of those snakes came crawling (slithering) back? Havoc. That’s what.
Experts from Trinity College Dublin believe snakes could certainly slither into Ireland’s ecosystems if introduced but would likely cause trouble for native ecosystems.
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.
Ennis says there are anecdotal tales of people releasing snakes into Dublin’s Royal Canal, but these snakes don’t populate widely, probably due to low numbers and Ireland’s “unappealing” climate.
Worryingly, Professor of Zoology at Trinity, Yvonne Buckley, says there are lots of other invasive species that have established, and whose ecological influence is growing quickly. Some of these species present a real threat to Ireland’s environment and economy.
Near the top of that list is the New Zealand flatworm, a relative newcomer to Ireland’s shores, which feeds on native earthworms that provide important ecosystem services as well as currying favour with farmers for enhancing the fertility and drainage of agricultural soils.
Other invasive species that threaten Irish biodiversity and harm our economy include zebra mussels, muntjac deer, harlequin ladybirds, mink, mitten crabs, rhododendron and Japanese knotweed.
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