Why Are Farmers Being Urged To Make Friends With Venomous Visitors?
Usually, snakes are unwelcome visitors on farms, but research suggests the
benefits of their presence on agricultural land far outweighs the potential
costs to farmers and graziers. A Macquarie University professor of evolutionary
biology said they were a real asset, keeping vermin levels down and it was in
farmers’ best interests to change their attitudes towards snakes and to
tolerate rather than kill them. The obvious cost of having venomous snakes like
brown snakes around is that they can bite you and you can die. But the reality
is that very few people in Australia die from snake bites. What are your
thoughts LiveTribers? Why are farmers being urged to make friends with venomous
visitors?
Posted by on 26 Feb 2024
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Shane
I don’t agree unfortunately. Less snakes the better as reduces the risk of
pets, animals and people getting bitten ESP kids
If the benefits of having them around outweighs the negative, then it is worth
having them around. They are an important part of their ecosystem, keeping
vermin under control etc.
Sounds like a cost effective way of managing vermin and in most situations
snakes would only strike if their warning did not result in them being left
alone for larger creatures.
Despite the fact that snakes give me the HeebieJeebies I understand their value
in keeping vermin at bay. Live and let live but I’d rather not encounter them!
Snakes in all shapes & sizes venomous & non venomous they are part of the cycle
of life & have a place in society somewhere - if you let them do there job they
will not harm you
I'm not familiar with the theory that snakes, as a general rule, are unwelcome
by farmers. You can't rely on the farm cat to keep down the mouse population on
their own! Farmers are well aware of the pros outweighing the cons when it comes
to snakes and I've never heard of trying to eradicate them.
I've not heard that either Michelle, I have experienced the other side of the
coin though. While staying with friends in Qld we were asked to be careful and
not frighten the snakes, which was a bit bit of a surprise, snakes not being all
that common in the City. Apparently everyone around there has red bellied black
snakes and go out of their way to protect them. If you've never been overtaken
by a snake while strolling downhill on a dirt track you are in for a treat.
I live on the Gold Coast and plenty of Pythons, Browns, and all different
varieties abound. This year we have had 10 large Pythons removed and a few of
the nasties also. Other years we have had heaps of Browns on our doorstep,
driveway, garden and inside. Not a fan of them at all but we call the snake
catcher to have them removed to a safe location well away from us.
Snakes are a necessary part of the eco system. Farmers do not want mice plagues
eating all their crops. Most snakes try to avoid humans; let them be and they
will be most unlikely to hurt you.
Farmers farm the land ,snakes live the land. I don't think they should
intentionally kill snakes as they do keep vermin down
etc. Sure if they're in the house or barn or endangering livestock, maybe do
something then.
I guess they do keep vermin down and are usually harmless if you don't upset
them or walk on them. Every species has a place in the environment and snakes
are probably as important as other species. I wouldn't like to encounter a
snake though.
It's their natural habitat that we have invaded. They have many good purposes
and rarely bother humans unless humans bother them first. Just like sharks
belong in the sea and humans get bitten. We need to be smarter in how we
interact with nature.
i think most farmers leave snakes do their own thing, unless the snake wont
leave a spot, then the safety of the farmer and his workers is the main
priority, and i think farmers have no problem killing a snake then.
I guess they are useful in their own way - eating mice and the like, and if left
alone are harmless. They are in their own environment, we have just invaded
their space. But they still pose a risk to working dogs and us humans. I'm
happy if I don't have to cross paths with them. Let the farmers choose to deal
with them on their own properties if necessary.
Australian Farmers have always been aware of snakes and mostly give them a wide
berth. They are a useful part of the food chain and eat the rats, mice, rabbits
and even each other.
When the brown snakes are well fed with mice and rats and birds, they are less
likely to bite you. You do not cross the path of a snake - give them a wide
berth. Farmers are used to snakes.
Keeping vermin under control is important for farmers but they will have to
weigh the risks of venomous snakes as they proceed down this path. Good luck,
farmers!!!!!!!!
I guess they keep the rodents at bay - its a natural cycle and has always been
that way. People are just becoming more aware of it nowadays because we have so
much more urban sprawl and we are invading the snakes terrirory - I think that
farmers are well aware of their presence on their properties and just need to
take care
Nature at work if you ask me. As human beings we to some extent dont understand
that we interfere with nature and that has consequences - this is just another
example
Having lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere for half my life, I can see the
professor's viewpoint of using snakes in destroying rabbits and mice, but have
you seen the numbers of mice and rabbits that farmers are dealing with? I guess
over time and under the right conditions, the plan might work, but just look at
all the species we've introduced to control others that backfired spectacularly
or just didn't make much difference at all. Foxes abound, cane toads are
plentiful... numerous other examples. For a snake bite on the leg to kill an
adult, you need quite a long, powerful snake to pierce a new set of quality
jeans with high socks underneath. A child, on the other hand, can quickly die
from a big snake bite. I feel too much pressure is currently placed on farmers
who are not being properly paid for feeding the country and if they are supposed
to befriend snakes or keep some as pets, surely some government subsidized
training courses would be in order, no? Or could the government buy them several
varieties of non-venomous types instead and grant exemptions? I'd be interested
to see the numbers of sheep and cattle dead from snake bites too. However, of
all my personal very close and brief snake encounters on the farm as well as
those of family members show that snakes like being left alone to do their thing
while we do ours. My dad, back in the early 1970's, was cut-off by a snake while
halfway down a well repairing it. He just waited about half an hour for the
snake to leave before leaving too. I'm no fan of reptiles, but I'd welcome any
initiative to stop killing both them and all the other chemical, etc programs
used to destroy rabbits and mice, etc. On the other hand, I don't think many
farmers would welcome such a move. The further out from cities you look, rural
communities tend to be very religious and mostly Christian here. The bible
teaches that snakes are the devil incarnate, are the most cursed of all
creatures and must be destroyed, ever since Adam. That mentality and
justification is very strong there and I'm not sure how that's going to change.
Never seen a snake in person myself.
It's all right for those people doing research into snakes to that say that, but
commonsense would tell you it's potentially dangerous to let snakes wander
around on your property.
They also occasionally get into peoples homes, and no one wants that.
Also animals on the farm risk being bitten.
Cant risk that.
If they aren't venomous then it's probably ok, but how can you choose which ones
end up there?
You might not get the harmless ones.
havnt we invaded their territory, the rats and mice are out of control. They
killed the cats in England because they thought they were witches familiars and
what did they get as a result of their stupidity the PLAUGE. Snake keep the
rodent population under control
Personally hate the damn things, only good snake is a dead one (but they can
still harm you even then, if your not careful). In reality it is illegal to
kill then in Australia. see following.........Is it illegal to kill snake in
Australia?
Snakes are protected by law in all states and territories of Australia and may
not be killed unless they threaten life. Offences under the Nature Conservation
Act 2014 carry severe penalties. Snakes cannot be taken from the wild, kept
without a licence, or traded without a licence.
