It takes a long time for a rock or log to weather into place so that it is suitable habitat for small animals. Ever since the publication of Rachel Carson s Silent Spring in the 1960s we have been conscious of declines in birds and other animal groups. For most of the 1990s, dwindling amphibian populations have been a serious concern of scientists around the world. For the most part, the general public has shared these concerns of ornithologists and herpetologists. Well, snakes are in trouble, too.
Loss of habitat is the biggest problem facing most species.
Larger snakes such as coachwhips, corn snakes, and pine snakes have sizeable home ranges, and if that range includes a frequently traveled road, it s just a matter of time until they are killed. Fire ants are likely taking a terrible toll, especially on the egg-laying species, but no one knows for sure. Talk to older people who have spent a lifetime observing nature and they will tell you snakes are nowhere near as common as they were several decades ago. Some would say that s a good thing, but attitudes are changing, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has enacted a regulation making it illegal to harm or kill six rare or declining species. Snakes will no doubt continue to be disliked by many people, but fear of all snakes is unwarranted.