|
Several countries and islands have no snakes at all, including Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, Ireland, New Zealand and the Falkland Islands. Most of the islands of the Pacific Ocean, and many Caribbean islands, have no poisonous land snakes, although those in equatorial waters are likely to have poisonous sea snakes just offshore. Madagascar is unusual in having a large and varied population of snakes - a total of 90 species altogether - but no dangerous ones ( a small number are venomous, but the arrangement of their fangs makes them completely harmless to people). The adder or viper (Vipera berus) is the only venomous snake in Britain. Its bite has caused 10 human deaths since 1890, including six children. The most recent recorded death was on 1 July 1975, when a 5-year-old died 44 hours after being bitten at Callander, Perthshire, UK. |