Scientists in Italy rediscover snake that was used

Scientists in Italy have rediscovered a type of snake that the ancient Greeks used to hurl at their enemies to create panic and confusion during sea battles.The Javelin Sand Boa had not been officially recorded in Italy for 80 years, but sightings by locals suggested that it might still survive in a region of Sicily.Snake experts decided to investigate and found the species, officially known as Eryx jaculus, living in an area of sand dunes and woodland around the resort town of Licata, on the island’s south coast.They believe the snake may well have been introduced to Sicily in ancient times, when the island was colonised by the Greeks.The area where it was found is close to the sites of two ancient battles, one in the fifth century BC and the other in the fourth century AD.Snakes were introduced to places conquered and settled by the ancient Greeks for “religious cults or war rituals”, the scientists said.The rediscovery of the species in Italy was announced on Thursday in Acta Herpetologica, a scientific journal

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