Killing snakes is a reaction of fright. I've had to terminate a few but I try and relocate if possible when it's a type that doesn't need to be in my yard. Of Course venomous need to be removed as they could hurt another pet, a child, or even my wife and I. water snakes I have to relocate as they get large enough here to actually catch fish and can be pretty aggresive and even though not poisonous can leave a nasty bite.
I did a snake, lizard, and turtle show years ago for elementary schools. Doing research to teach the kids I learned a lot of of good reasons for snakes. But one thing that has stood out in my mind from that learning. Did you know that there are 100 times more humans deaths in the US alone related to rodent diseases, than there are total snake bites (Venomous and non-venomous combined!) In the world in a year?
Snakes are #2 in rodent control behind birds of prey in the US, and are the #1 rodent controllers in most parts of the world. Another fact that made me think long and hard about killing snakes, Out of every 100 snakes a human will see in the wild in the US, the chances are one out the 100 being a poisonous one.
These are some more interesting facts, Your more likely to get struck by lightning than being bitten by a venomous snake, On average there are about as many venomous snake bites each year in the US as shark attacks. Your far more likely to be killed in a car accident going to work or coming home from work than you are being bitten by a snake at all. And one last really interesting fact. If you were able to go back and go year by year, there are more years of people dying from heart attacks triggered by the site of a snake than people that were actually killed from a snake bite. Back when I read this is what something like 8/10 years or something like that.
Although snakes have been considered as dangerous, and evil since early times of man and the bible, Snakes are actually far more beneficial to humans alive than dead and without them we as humans would be far more likely to die from the plague, bacteria diseases, and flea bite infections with out snakes and birds of Prey.
