Snakes provide numerous benefits to people and to the environment, by controlling rat and mice populations in the environment, for example. Or in the laboratory, where pygmy rattlesnake venom research helped develop medicine to thin the blood of heart attack patients. Most snakes are secretive and rarely bother people, but there are situations where some snakes can become dangerous. In this 4-page fact sheet, we present some facts about snakes, describe dangers they may cause, and provide suggestions on how to cope with these dangers. Written by Holly K. Ober, Steve Johnson, and William M. Giuliano, and published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, November 2014. (Photo: Steve Johnson)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw395