Are there Snakes in Iceland? Iceland’s Dangerous Animals

Wondering whether there are snakes in Iceland?

Before visiting the country, many people research whether or not there are snakes in Iceland.

Ophidiophobia is one of the most common phobias, with many people having a fear of snakes.

So it’s important to know whether you’re going to stumble across a snake while exploring Iceland.

Because it’s an amazing country, and I’d hate for you to be put off. Luckily, I’ve visited Iceland and researched snakes in Iceland and I’m here to provide a guide to whether or not there are snakes in the country.

So without further ado, let’s get straight into it.

Are there Snakes in Iceland?

To cut to the chase, no, there aren’t any snakes in Iceland.

Snakes are cold-blooded reptiles which means they control their body heat by taking in heat from the outside.

Obviously, as the name suggests, there isn’t much heat in Iceland.

Iceland’s climate is simply too cold for snakes to survive, meaning there aren’t any native sake species in Iceland.

There also aren’t really any proper zoos in Iceland, and none of the small zoos have snakes in them.

Snakes are actually illegal in Iceland, meaning there are pretty much no snakes in the entire country- there have been cases of them being smuggled which I why I say “pretty much”.

You can’t have a snake as a pet and the reason is to protect the delicate ecosystem in Iceland. If a snake was to escape, be released or abandoned, it would have a detrimental effect on the local environment, as it would be an invasive species.

If you’re interested, you also can’t have lizards or turtles either.

Iceland’s cold climate provides some amazing opportunities when visiting the country such as dog sledding in Iceland or exploring a glacier, but an added bonus is that there aren’t any snakes in Iceland.

Many people hear the term “Iceland sand snakes” and assume it’s a species of snake living in Iceland, but this isn’t the case.

The phrase refers to a phenomenon where winds are so strong that they blow the sand so fast that it flies into the air and moves in a shape that looks similar to a snake slithering.

Iceland sand snakes are not real snakes, it’s just a name to describe a natural occurrence.

So to summarise, the answer to “Are there snakes in Iceland?” is no.

Iceland Dangerous Animals

Since we know that you won’t find any snakes slithering around during a trip to Iceland, you might now be wondering what dangerous animals there actually are in Iceland.

The truth is, there aren’t many.

Thanks to the cold temperatures, there aren’t many animals full stop, let alone dangerous animals. There are so few animals that Iceland is only really known for a handful of animals. Arctic Foxes, whales, puffins. By the way, make sure to take a puffin tour while in Iceland!

In fact, the Arctic Fox is the only land mammal native to Iceland. And while it’s fair to consider a fox dangerous, it’s extremely unlikely you’ll run into one during a trip to Iceland.

There aren’t even many insects in Iceland. There aren’t any which are poisonous or venomous either. It’s the perfect country in terms of dangerous animals.

Are there mosquitoes in Iceland?

No, there aren’t any mosquitoes in Iceland.

Iceland is one of only a few places where there are no mosquitoes, and no one really knows why.

I’m not complaining though!

However, there are midges in Iceland, and they’ve been around long enough to have a lake named after them.

If you aren’t familiar with midges, they’re basically really small flys which give small bites which are itchy. Nothing severe or anything, more just an inconvenience.

Lake Mývatn is a beautiful lake in the north of Iceland and the name comes from the amount of midges you can find at the lake during the summer months.

But to answer the question, there aren’t any mosquitoes.

Are there bears in Iceland?

No, there are no bears in Iceland, not even polar bears.

Many people assume Iceland has polar bears since it’s so high up, but this isn’t the case.

There are a few occasions when polar bears have made it to Iceland, but they were immediately shot in order to protect the people of Iceland due to the bear’s dangerous stature.

So there are no bears native to Iceland, and no bears are welcomed in Iceland either.

Are there spiders in Iceland?

There are in fact spiders in Iceland. It might come as a bit of a shock because of the lack of other dangerous animals, but fear not, the spiders in Iceland aren’t dangerous.

Iceland has no venomous spiders, so in the very unlikely case you somehow get bitten by a spider in Iceland, you have nothing to worry about. It would be less than a bee sting.

The spiders aren’t particularly large or scary either, most of them are just common spiders you’ll find anywhere around the world.

So there’s really nothing to worry about.

Are there wasps in Iceland?

Yes, there are wasps in Iceland.

There were no wasps in Iceland until 1977 when they were first discovered.

Over the decades since then, there have been reports of 4 different species of wasps in Iceland.

Thankfully, there’s only one species of wasp which has survived. The Norwegian wasp is the only species of wasp in Iceland after the German and red wasps died out.

Snakes in Iceland: FAQ

Below are some common questions people have related to snakes in Iceland, along with my answers to each question.

Conclusion: Snakes in Iceland

And there you have it, a complete guide to snakes in Iceland.

To recap, there aren’t any native snakes in Iceland, and it’s illegal to have a snake as a pet. So you can visit the country with peace of mind that you won’t have to encounter a snake.

Iceland is a great country to visit because there are basically no pests. There aren’t any mosquitoes, for example.

Enjoy your trip to Iceland! You can have a stress-free trip knowing there aren’t any snakes in Iceland. 🙂