If most snakes are dangerous, why not kill them?

Question

Let me expand this question a bit. Snakes is a part of nature. I know that, but if some of them endangers human lives, why not kill them? Eventhough some people bitten by poisonous snakes survive depending on the type of snake and the treatment, why let them linger around? Especially on the forest where some people are courageous enough to camp?

I am not asking this because I don't like snakes. I'm just curious since I've seen some documentaries on snakes like that of the anaconda just the other day. Is it because we care for the balance of nature thing? IS it because they're helpful to us too? Just curious...

Sorry for the saying that "most" word. Well, thanks for all your input on this one! I appreciate it.

Answer 1

Most snakes are not dangerous, anyway, but the real issue is that killing a predator (and in many cases a top predator) in an ecosystem will lead to many unintended consequences. I understand your point about snakes posing a danger to many people, but if snakes are wiped out in a given area many of those same people may end up being worse off. For example, you may end up producing a rat population explosion that can lead to sharp increases in certain infectious diseases carried by those same rats. We should not kill off snakes simply because it is wrong from an ecological standpoint, but it is easier to sell the idea of not killing them if it is pointed out how important they can be to us.

Answer 2

Where did you get the information that most snakes are dangerous? This is an invalid assumption. There are only about a half dozen poisonous snakes species out of hundreds of benign snake species in the US. Kill the snakes that eat the rats that give us plague and Hanta virus, and you will kill yourself in the end.
Try this one on - Water is very dangerous because it drowns people and electrocutes them. So, let's ban all water everywhere to keeps us safe. Does this make sense?
What makes sense is to just stay away from poisonous snakes, and you'll have no problem.
Don't mess with mother nature.
Look up the word "hubris". Really - do it. It might give you some perspective.

Answer 3

In the first place most snakes are not dangerous. In the U.S. there are four dangerous snakes, the coral snake, the rattler, the cottonmouth water moccasin, and the copperhead. I live in Texas and came face to face with more Rattlers than most will ever see when I was working on ranches. I killed the ones in close proximity to populated areas and left the others alone. They do serve a puprose and are not likely to bother humans but will give you the same wide berth you give them. These animals do not attack humans but they defend the only way they know how. I don't love snakes but I don't live in fear of them either. Just let them be when you can. P.S. They very often "Dry bite" humans if they feel threatened. Bite without dispensing poison because they can't eat you they don't want to waste it. They control rodents (most snakes do) better than cats. Killing a snake just because he is comes from fear and/or ignorance.

Answer 4

Firstly, most snakes are not dangerous to people. Anyhow, while they do have a significant purpose in the natural world, it's mostly about people wanting to preserve what is left in the natural world for future generations to enjoy... it's the romantic idea of saving the world from ourselves, keeping the wild side of life alive, that drives people to care about it's preservation significantly enough to impede complete human domination.. while it's true that losing a part of nature inevitably affects us, the human race is very innovative and resilient and would surely come up with a solution to work around it (however at the expense of something else usually the natural world)

to sum things up... we shouldn't kill them because they currently have more value to us alive than they do dead... socially and economically

Answer 5

The fact is that most snakes are absolutely harmless even if they are poisonous. 1) because they are very rare; 2) they are very shy; 3) Their part in the ecosystem is much more valuable. Less than 100 people are bitten every year in the US. Not many die. Why kill millions of snakes when most are not even poisonous?

Answer 6

Well, I would think that it's because, for the most part, they aren't bothering anyone. Humans have already built over most of their homes and the only ones that they have left are the woods and forests. Why should they have to die for humans to go camping? I think the people who go camping should know what to expect when going anyways. A good majority of the time if you don't bother a snake it won't bother you.

Answer 7

Your maximum suitable wager may be to the two do a seek on " snake identity" or to show by way of a field handbook on your community snakes and learn that are venomous and which at the instant are not. regardless of the reality that there are purely those 4 ~types~ of venomous snakes interior the U.S., there are countless subspecies, eastern diamondback rattler, canebrake rattler, wood rattler, dusky pigmy rattler, and that's with out leaving the eastern time zone... and there is likewise little blunders in descriptions that persons could make... honestly coral snakes (interior the U.S. constantly have a BLACK nostril, not a pink nostril...) so as you will discover, it rather might help to do a seek on your specific section's snakes.

Answer 8

The reality is that most snakes are not dangerous and don't kill people. Most of the ones people come in contact with are not dangerous., The dangerous ones are out away from most people. If one that is dangerous wanders near a city or where people are then perhaps it needs to be relocated. But to kill every snake is unfair and unnessary to protect people.

Answer 9

Lots of reasons. One: The balance of nature, as you said. (Though in my opinion, no, the change would not be that drastic, and the other less dangerous snake species would probably compensate for the difference. It's a little complicated to explain...point is, a lot of people like to rattle off the balance of nature statement without actually thinking it through. "Blah blah blah, everything is precious...kitties and rainbows and baby ducks", shut the hell up.) Two: Try it, and you'll have environmentalists all over you. Three: It would be damn near impossible to kill them all.

Seriously, you people who are talking about how dangerous humans are...you do realize you're part of the human race, right? By all means, kill yourself if you want. Or get out of your nature-harming house, stop driving your nature-harming car, live in the woods and eat nuts and berries...or shut up about how horrible we all are.

Answer 10

Whithout snakes, the rodents and small animal populations would grow wildly. This would distrupt the careful balance of many of the world's ecosystems. Also, most snakes aren't poisonous.