While few would describe snakes as cuddly and cute, they are often unjustly viewed as scary, dangerous and troublesome by much of the population. But despite their unbecoming reputation – being the Biblical representation of Satan doesn't help – snakes are actually one of nature's greatest allies.

All snakes are carnivorous, with various diets including birds, insects, small mammals, fish, eggs, snails, lizards and other snakes. Their presence, or lack thereof, is an indication of the health of an ecosystem. Carnivores are attracted to areas with a strong population of herbivores. Herbivores thrive in an ecosystem with healthy plant life. If a natural environment is without the presence of carnivores – especially top-of-the-food-chain carnivores like snakes – the biodiversity of that area is most likely anemic.

Some animals, including some snakes, are dietary specialists, eating primarily one or a few select prey species. For example, hognose snakes do not normally eat mice but instead are restricted to a near-exclusive diet of toads. Adult mud snakes eat primarily large salamanders, and tiny crowned snakes eat centipedes. The prey of snakes may even be predators themselves, making for a longer food chain. Thus, toads require insects, giant salamanders eat crawfish, and centipedes use their pinchers to capture small soil invertebrates for food. – The University of Georgia

When something is amiss at the bottom of a food chain – such as the absence of a snake's diet staple – a surge of environmental problems can result which are not always noticed by simply observing the landscape. Snakes' behavior provides scientists with information about these problems and indicates what the underlying source for the disturbance may be.

Another benefit to snakes is their eating habits. Their consumption of rodents and insects can serve as a natural form of pest control, eliminating the need for commonly used chemicals and poisons that can harm plant and animal life in an ecosystem. A single black snake can consume dozens of rats in a single year. In Vietnam villages specifically, biologists are reintroducing snakes in order to protect harvested grain from rodents. On top of rodents' destruction of food sources, they are also responsible for the spread of numerous diseases around the world.

Worldwide, rats and mice spread over 35 diseases. Rodent-borne diseases are spread directly to humans through bite wounds, consuming food or water that is contaminated with rodent feces, coming in contact with surface water contaminated with rodent urine, or through breathing in germs that may be present in rodent urine or droppings that have been stirred into the air (a process known as "aerosolization"). Diseases from rodents are also spread indirectly to humans by way of ticks, mites, and fleas that transmit the infection to humans after feeding on infected rodents. In some cases, the rodents are the reservoirs (carriers) of the diseases, while in other cases the ticks, mites, or fleas act as the disease reservoirs. – CDC

As the rate of deforestation rises and industrial farming spreads, more snakes are being pushed out of their natural habitats and onto people's front steps. In Brazil, the destruction of rain forests has led to an influx of snakes in developed areas. While none of the snakes captured have been poisonous, the presence of a 10-foot anaconda – normally a jungle recluse – is evidence of a major ecological shift in the snake's living conditions.

While the benefits of snakes should be recognized and appreciated, some areas of the world have a higher population of poisonous snakes. Australia, in particular, has many species of dangerous snakes to contend with on a daily basis. Fortunately, the spread of environmental awareness has given way to numerous natural snake repellent options for those who refuse to partake in the abundance of chemical alternatives.

Another method of elimination is to make the environment unsuitable for snake life. Reducing their food sources helps, as does having a dog (or pig, depending on how rural your home is) outside. Snakes can also be trapped and removed without harm. And eradicating your property of stacked fire wood or rock piles – common snake homes and hiding places – is also an important tool for limiting the population in your area.

It's unfortunate that much of the world suffers from an irrational fear of snakes, especially since they contribute so much to the environment and rarely hurt humans. The initial instinct of many to kill every snake they come across, along with the destruction of thriving natural habitats, is leading to a troubling decrease in snake populations. How the absence of these misunderstood reptiles will affect the balance of ecosystems remains to be seen, but perhaps if their benefits were more widely known they would have a greater chance of survival.