Value of Snakes

byReptyrog

400 followers

Updated 10 years ago

By reading this article and other content within reptyrog.com, you begin the exciting process of gaining valuable information and for those of you who are petrified of snakes, I offer the first steps in overcoming anxiety and panic attacks caused by these often misunderstood creatures. To start this wonderful journey, I have included a few brief stories.

Introduction

Ophidiophobia is defined as: "The abnormal fear of snakes". Nothing elicits fear like the sight of a snake. Whether it’s an image of a snake or actual sighting of a wild species, snakes cause many people to overreact and panic. From biblical times of the evil serpent to the legendary 40 feet Anacondas to the mythical 2 Step Vipers of Asia, snakes have been portrayed as evil, mean, blood thirsty creatures. With Hollywood and the media telling tall tales and irresponsible reporting, it only enhances a negative view and not promoting the actual value that snakes possess. Fact is snakes are way more beneficial to us than doing us harm. This article is not to make you love them, but rather for you to get a basic understanding of the value of snakes. I often get asked, “What is the best snake repellent”? My reply is “Knowledge”.

The Success Story

Snakes being unique and unlike most animals actually makes a great success story. They have been on Earth for over 100 million years, yet have thrived with no arms and legs, one functional lung, no hearing, bad eyesight. With all that they are lacking, they have managed to exploit every type of environment on earth with the exception of the Polar Regions. While human activity and encroachment on natural habitats has caused their numbers to decline, a few snake species have actually benefited from this and are thriving. One example is the Corn Snake. The garbage and mess we produce always entices rodents. Mice and rats being a favorite food source for the Corn Snake are drawn to our messy lifestyles. Corn Snakes are attracted to these over abundances of rodents and adapted a lifestyle that is conducive to urban life.

Snake Symbolism

Many people are oblivious to many images we see all the time and that include symbolism of snakes. We often drive by medical facilities and occasionally are annoyed by loud ambulances rushing by. It is easy to miss the images of snake symbolism associated with medicine and medical treatment. That image is the Rod of Asclepius. This symbol is a rod with a snake wrapped around it. The Rod of Asclepius is from Greek mythology and is associated with medicine and healing. Other areas we see snake symbols, include many sport teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks. Many collegiate and high schools have also chosen serpent names as well. The Mexican flag or coat of arms has the image of a Caracara, a predatory falcon, grasping a snake in its talons. This may have been derived from an Aztec legend in which their gods advised the people to build a city where they observed an eagle on a nopal eating a serpent. This is a common belief for the location reasoning for Mexico City.

Many religions view snakes as deities. In Southeast Asia, cobras are revered by Hindus. They believe they are a manifestation of Shiva which is a god that is associated with destruction and regeneration. Nag Panchami is an annual lunar holiday in which Hindus will refrain from working in the crops out of respect for cobras. Many images of Buddha include a giant cobra over him. This belief is the cobra would spread its hood over Buddha to protect him from the sun while he meditated. Many Buddhist and Hindu temples have images of cobras near the entrances.

Importance of Snakes

I remember reading a story about this region that was dealing with many venomous snake bites resulting in an alarming number of deaths. Their solution was to kill off the offending snakes. This idea ended in major failure and many more deaths. Not only was the venomous snakes were killed off, all snakes met their demise. After some time, the area was practically snake free. Due to the void of snakes, the problem was an over population of rodents and the nasty diseases they spread. The numbers of deaths went up dramatically for years. Only when the snake population rebounded, the death rate began to subside.

A rise in cost for some consumer products can be also attributed to a decrease in snake population. In Florida, sugarcane production has an increasing problem with crop destruction due to a rise in growing rabbit populations. While the rabbit population gets larger, the numbers of the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is in major decline. Rabbits are prey items to the once common rattlesnake and in the absence of predation, it allows an overabundance of rabbits to occur, resulting in more crop destruction.