Stop Killing Snakes!
It’s cruel. It’s unnecessary. It’s pointless. Just stop it!
Were you taught that “The only good snake is a dead snake?” Well, you’re not alone. I understand that many people were brought up to think that killing snakes is a good idea. I am here to tell you that what you were taught is wrong. Not just wrong sometimes, but flat-out, all-the-way, every day of the week and twice on Sunday WRONG. If you’ll give me ten minutes, I’ll explain why.
(NOTE: This article is not addressing the use of snakes as food. When done sustainably, this is an amoral practice.)
Now, please don’t think me impolite with what I’m about to say, but it may be easier if we just face the facts head-on. People kill snakes for three reasons: fear, ignorance, or outright sadism. In the case of true phobias or sadistic disorders, assistance from a qualified mental health practitioner may be necessary. For most people, however, education is all you need to gain a more humane perspective and leave these behaviors behind.
I’ve been teaching people about snakes for a while now, and I know full well that there are people who are ready to change and people that aren’t. I can’t force you to change. All I can do is plant seeds or water seeds that others have already planted. Since you’ve read this far, I’m assuming you are one of the “good ones” that are willing to learn a thing or two, so let’s go!
Snakes are our friends. No, I‘m not saying they want to come over for tea; in fact, they just want to be left alone. What I mean is that their very existence makes your life better. Snakes are a valuable part of the food web, and seeing a snake is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. The overwhelming majority of snakes are perfectly harmless to humans. But, venomous or not, there are no species of snake in the world that want to hurt you. You have a choice. You don’t need to kill wildlife just because you were raised to do so. You can change, and I’d like to help.
Let’s start by getting a few things clear…
- Less than 20% of the snakes in the entire world are venomous. In any given area, there are only a small handful of species whose bite would require medical attention. You can and should learn to recognize those species. We have a snake identification group to assist you with this.
- Snakes do not chase people. Yes, I know you may have heard people who are absolutely positive that a snake chased them or someone they know. You can take my word that they were mistaken, or you can read my detailed explanation of this myth here- Snakes Do Not Chase People!
- Snakes do not have some strange, exotic bacteria in their mouths to make you sick. A bite from a nonvenomous snake is medically akin to a paper cut. Even venomous snake bites rarely necessitate antibiotics. Bites from a dog or cat are far more dangerous than a bite from a nonvenomous snake.
- Snakes are not sinister. Human beings can be sinister, but snakes are just wild animals with the same motivations as any other animal: the search for food, shelter, a mate, etc. Any sinister motives we ascribe to snakes are purely a reflection of our own biases.
In the US, the snakes with probably the worst rap in this regard are cottonmouths. In fact, these are extremely docile snakes that are quite reluctant to bite. This is just one example of how much perception can differ from reality (more info at The Maligned Cottonmouth). - Snakes do not want to bite you. Snakes bite for the same reason any other animal does, meaning fear, surprise, or self-defense. Snakes will not go out of their way to bite you. Simply keep your wits about you outdoors, paying attention to where you put your hands and feet. You need only to be duly cautious, not fearful. I have more detailed tips at How NOT to Get Bitten By A Venomous Snake.
- There’s no such thing as a “bad snake.” Some snakes can hurt you, most cannot. But either way, all native wildlife was here before you were and deserves respect.
- You can’t identify venomous snakes by “triangle heads” or any other cheat or shortcut. Trying to do so will just convince you that nearly every snake you see is venomous. Learning to ID snakes is not too difficult, but it takes more than a quick trick (more info at How NOT to ID a Venomous Snake).
- Snake repellents DO NOT WORK. Stores sell these products because people buy them, not because they are effective. Most are poisons that really should not be spread around your home. If you desire to see fewer snakes, there are ways to do that at Keeping Snakes Away: Advice from a Wildlife Biologist.
- In the US, you are ten times more likely to die from a bee sting than a snake bite. I’m not saying you should volunteer to get bitten by a venomous snake, but it is far from the automatic death sentence that cowboy movies might have you believe. Snakebites are treatable, and again, most snakes are completely harmless. Still, it might help to know What To Do (and NOT to do!) If You Are Bitten by a Snake.
- Killing a snake does not make you safer. In fact, purposely interacting with a venomous snake actually increases your chance of injury. A snake that you see can be avoided, resulting in everyone going home safely 100% of the time.
There are a lot more myths floating around about snakes. We don’t need to go into them all here, but you’re welcome to read Most of What You’ve Heard About Snakes is Nonsense (Snake Myths & FAQs) for more great info.
If you see a snake in your yard, that is a good thing.
Snakes are, by and large, nature’s “pest control technicians.” Don’t get me wrong, every native species has its place, but if you don’t want mice in your house, slugs in your garden, gophers tearing up your lawn, rats in your barn, and more: stop killing the members of the ecosystem that are taking care of those critters for you.
Snakes do not destroy your lawn or home — they eat the critters that do. For example, ratsnakes got their names from being such great rodent predators. Mice and rats are a leading cause of house fires. The ones that infest homes are invasive species and are vectors for several diseases and parasites. Every home should be lucky enough to have a ratsnake around! While they do sometimes get onto or into homes, there’s nothing to fear. They are not trying to hurt you and can be easily removed. (Read The Snake on Your House Isn’t Trying to Hurt You for more on this.)
We have a habit of killing the animals that naturally keep pests in check and then using poisons, glue traps, and other ecologically-disastrous means to attempt to do what they were already doing for free. This is inexcusable from an environmental perspective. For example, native raptors and other animals frequently die or have to be treated by wildlife rehabilitators like myself as a result of ingesting poisoned prey. This is just one of the unintended consequences of our unsustainable attitudes toward the natural world. It is important that each of us make more of an effort to grasp the concept of cooperating with nature. Otherwise, the species we lose may one day be our own.
If you see a snake that you are not sure is harmless, simply take three steps back and walk away.
You do not need to run, scream, grab a shovel, make a scene, call someone, or any other form of panic. The snake is not trying to hurt you. Unless you live in a frozen wasteland or the densest of concrete jungles, there are snakes around you every day. The only thing that is different this time is that you happened to notice one for a change. It doesn’t mean you are any less safe than you were before.
In fact, seeing a snake means you are more safe, as you can easily avoid that animal. If you try to harm the snake, it will most likely try to defend itself, just like any other animal (or you!) would do. Not all snakebites are a result of trying to kill snakes, but a significant portion of bites happen in this fashion, and those are all bites that could have been easily avoided by simply respecting wildlife and giving snakes their space.
Killing a snake is just pointless cruelty.
Killing one snake does not make you any safer than taking one car off the road makes driving safer. Many people justify killing snakes by saying it was for the safety of their kids or pets, but this is purely a rationalization. Children learn by example. We should be teaching them respect for all living things. If they see you respect the animal and leave it alone, they are more likely to do so. If they see you try to kill it, then that is what they will imitate. A child trying to kill a snake is more likely to get bitten than the child that leaves snakes alone, so you are teaching them dangerous habits if your example is to kill snakes.
Killing native animals for the perceived safety of nonnative animals (your pets) is a very ecologically-unsound practice. Wildlife was here first. It is us who have invaded their space, and it is, therefore, our responsibility to learn to live peaceably with them.
Dogs should be provided with snake aversion training. This teaches them to leave snakes alone when they encounter one and is by far the best way of keeping them safe. Really, it is best to supervise your pet when outdoors, as there are many more dangers than snakes outside. Cats should be kept indoors or in a catio (secure play area) for their safety and the safety of native wildlife. For more info on that topic, please read Shouldn’t Cats Be Allowed to Hunt?
Furthermore, killing snakes is pointless because another will just take its place. If you want to see fewer snakes, you need to make your yard less attractive to them. If your yard provides habitat and resources, snakes will show up. Killing the ones you see (and leaving the ones you don’t see) does not change that. It is just a needless, inhumane death that accomplishes nothing except possibly to foster a false sense of security (again, making us less safe).
Look, when it comes down to it, I hope you will resolve to stop killing snakes simply because it is the kind and environmentally-sound thing to do. We already make animals’ lives hard enough. Honestly, I am not even asking you to like snakes. I understand not everyone is at that point. But you don’t have to like something to respect that it has a life, just like you. Every animal wants the same things you want. We all want to get home safely at the end of the day. The best way to accomplish that is to live and let live.
Remember, education is key. The more you understand anything, especially animals, the less you will fear it. Follow The Natural World, download my free book, or join my rescue center’s snake education group. Make the decision to educate yourself. I promise you won’t regret it!
I’ll leave you with a couple of videos to think on. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Do you like learning about reptiles, amphibians, and cooperating with nature? Be sure to follow The Natural World here on Medium!
You can also follow our wildlife center on Facebook, join our Snake Identification Group, or download the book that this article came from, A Primer on Reptiles & Amphibians: A Collection of Educational Nature Bulletins, from our website.
The shortlink for this article is bit.ly/stop-killing-snakes
