Snakes of War

[LongBlade]

According to this article the ancient Greeks used to fling snakes at enemy ships to sew confusion and panic before boarding them.

One of the snake species they used was thought to be extinct for 80 years, but has been found alive.

"The Greeks used to use snakes as projectiles, hurling them at enemy ships before attacking in order to create confusion and fear," Gianni Insacco, one of the researchers, told the news agency Ansa.

"In general they used vipers that had had their venom removed. Alternatively they would use similar species, like the sand boa."

The scientists found six individuals during their study, three of them alive and three dead as a result of traffic accidents.

They believe the snake has lived in Sicily for centuries but simply went unnoticed because of its nocturnal habits, underground existence and "very elusive nature".

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/12076680/Scientists-in-Italy-rediscover-snake-that-was-used-by-ancient-Greeks-as-a-weapon-of-war.html