What would the world look like without snakes?

[Tiny Boidae]

This is not a discussion I hope I'd have to have with anyone on this site, but an alarming number of people around the world have no idea how delicate a scale nature is, or how it would affect them. Too often you see those commercials who give voices to the cute and fluffy animals, and not long ago I remember the NBA advertising the protection of large, endangered African mammals such as rhinos and elephants. This is fine and dandy, but it's much harder for people to donate money towards the protection of reptiles, fish, and insects. I'd like this thread to be an eye opener as to how snakes are important to not only the environment, but our economy and health as well.

Back in 1993, Southern Australia was knee-deep in trouble as an infamous plague swarmed farmers. Mice populations had exploded preceding weather patterns that brought in what could have been millions of dollars in crops, triggering a swarm of rodents to flood the countryside.

The mice destroyed crops and property, as well as endangered the health of the people who came in contact with them. The balance was upset, and this was the result. There was virtually no competition for the rodents, with too few of predators or grain-munching animals to help right the scale, their numbers added up quickly. One video in particular was heavily publicized, which was a home video released by Ann Venning opening the door to her barn. Mice were piled at least a foot high, and were pouring out of the doorway as water might. Inside, they were so desperate for food that the pigs were being eaten alive, and, as she commented later, "It was just the worst thing I've ever gone through and I think if it ever came again I would probably move away permanently or burn the farm."

(BBC Two - Nature's Weirdest Events, Series 1, Episode 1, The mouse plague
A link to a video depicting this event)

It wasn't until the government stepped in and dispersed rat poison via plane that the problem slowly dissipated. It killed the rodents, but did an equal amount of harm to other wildlife in the area as well as potentially poisoning any nearby water. The damage was already done though, with 500,000 tons of wheat eaten by the rodents and, on top of that, they'd caused approximately $96 million dollars worth in damage. Additionally, the mental and physical trauma placed on those who were affected by the plague caused hospitalizations and cases of rumored suicides.

More recently, in 2011, a similar plague of mice hit Southern Australia again, although this time farmers were more prepared to deal with the oncoming onslaught. This time around, it caused around $300 million dollars in damage as the rodents chewed through equipment, homes, and food.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCOorXAjVno

Australia is infamous for its mouse infestations, but lesser incidents also have recently occurred in China, Germany, and California to name a few. The damage, both in health and economical perspectives, is astonishing. All the time I hear "Well if snakes were gone mice would be everywhere" when arguing for the snake's benefits, although I've never seen anyone bring up incidences where mouse populations have exploded, and without them it's hard for other people to gauge the legitimacy of their worth. So, in a hypothetical situation, if all of the snakes were suddenly erased from the world, you'll have bigger problems than buying your next handbag.

[EL Ziggy]

Thanks for the very interesting information Tiny.

[Arachnaeoccult]

At this point in time a careful eye on the important functions of reptiles and other predators in the ecosystem is important but awareness is dim because most people are looking at cat pictures on facebook. Mice are gross, mice are disgusting, and vermin, and carry diseases. I don't exactly feel bad for them getting their role fulfilled in nature as food.

[Tiny Boidae]

I agree with your message, but not the way you put it. In my experience, people tend to want to block out those bigger, potentially disastrous issues and discern any evidence as a "this won't affect me" mentality. Not only is that a selfish thought, but also harmful as we've seen with an utter disrespect for nature and an ignorant mindset towards it. Think of nature as a pyramid, with what we need more of at the bottom. These would be plentiful, but most important. We'll place plants there. Then, move a segment up, and we have a decent population with slightly less importance. Prey animals go here (such as mice). Lastly we have a small segment with minimal importance and a comparably smaller population. These will house the predators (such as snakes) who have no other purpose than keeping the prey in check, and indirectly influencing the plants as well. That's a very simplistic ecosystem for you, and if you take any one of those segments out it will wreak havoc. Mice have very fundamental roles in any ecosystem they're apart of, and while they're destructive in numbers, the removal of them would be devastating as any animal who regularly eats them will either struggle or slowly die out. I have a healthy amount of respect for any animal, including mice, although the way they've evolved to survive can be destructive. Since so many animals prey on them, their philosophy is to grow fast, eat whatever they can find, breed like crazy, and then continue the lifespan of a predator. This tends to be a problematic situation when they congregate in enough numbers, although they're crucial in the whole scheme of things which is why I have the respect for them that I do.

But yes, most people aren't fully aware of how delicate nature is, or simply don't care. They tend to associate nature with something to be ogled at behind a fence or a television screen, and not something that can affect them. These same people probably think that the food in their grocery store appears by magic