<
https://theconversation.com/stop-killing-brown-snakes-they-could-be-a-farmers-best-friend-222142>
"Many Australians who work outdoors – especially farmers and graziers – attempt
to kill every snake they encounter, especially those thought to be venomous. In
fact, research in one part of rural Australia found 38% of respondents tried to
kill snakes wherever possible.
This attitude is misguided and dangerous. Despite their fearsome reputation,
venomous Australian snakes pose little risk to human health. And snakes are
hugely beneficial on farms by consuming pests such as rodents.
New research by myself and colleagues estimated the magnitude of that benefit.
We found adult eastern brown snakes can collectively remove thousands of mice
per square kilometre of farmland each year, which substantially increases farm
productivity.
Our study suggests the benefits of snake populations on agricultural land far
outweigh the potential costs, and farmers should tolerate rather than kill
them."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
