St. Patrick is celebrated in Ireland for haven driven all the snakes away. Many children's fairy tales portray snakes as bad or evil creatures. Television and movies, which have used our fear snakes to make a dramatic point, have also done much damage to our perception of snakes in general. This negative opinion in our current society has caused many snakes to be killed indiscriminately. Unfortunately, many times when snakes and people come into contact, the snake is automatically killed.
Some people even pursue snake killing as a hobby.
Rattlesnake dens in remote and rugged areas of western Maryland have been gassed or destroyed, killing most of their occupants. The fact is that snakes are beneficial to man and hold an important place in the ecology of all parts of the world where they occur. They can effectively control the populations of small mammals, like mice and rats. They are also important food sources for hawks and other predators. Several types of snakes are popular as pets and many people breed and sell captive bred snakes.