Which is the only continent without snakes or reptiles?

Antarctica is the only continent without native snakes or reptiles. Its extreme cold prevents reptiles, which rely on external environmental heat, from maintaining active populations there.

Antarctica is surrounded by the Southern Ocean and covered almost entirely by a permanent ice sheet. Temperatures, seasonal darkness and limited food availability make the continent hostile to most land animals. Unlike birds and marine mammals, reptiles cannot generate enough internal heat to remain active in such conditions.

The statement refers to the continent itself and to naturally established reptile populations. Antarctica has no native snakes, lizards, turtles or crocodilians. The surrounding ocean can contain animals from other groups, but occasional human transport or temporary visits would not create a native reptile population.

A common mix-up is Ireland, Iceland or New Zealand, which are also famous for having no native snakes, but they are islands or island countries rather than continents. Snakes occur on every other continent, although their distribution is uneven and some continental regions have very few reptile species.