Snakes are in no way as predictable as people think. They are animals. They have independent thought to us. And I imagine just like there are people who are jerks, there are snakes with cranky personalities. My opinion is a good 1 is a dead 1. As for people saying they're great rodent control around the farm wants to join the this century and buy some bloody traps or ratsak. My Nan lived through a mouse plague and still has nightmares about it at 101 years of age. Never once has she said she wished there were more snakes around during that plague. Sorry I don't subscribe to the greeny way of thinking. But where I grew up we have plenty of snakes. And the general rule is if its close enough to kill you, kill it. We are not friends with snakes.