well, I've just never been able to figure why folks kill snakes they find out in the wilds. Maybe some folks don't consider their ponds as being part of the wilds but I wouldn't kill a snake if it was in my house unless there was absolutely no other way.
I'm not a zealot or super-purist about this - I had a friend who had to kill a timber rattler because it just wouldn't stay out of his garden. I couldn't blame him. He has always had snakes visit his garden and he usually lets them be but the rattler just couldn't be allowed to stay because it was just too dangerous to his wife and his dogs.
I always look out for snakes and I wear 18" snake proof boots around my pond. I don't want to be bitten by any snake (I don't want to be bitten by a chipmunk, either!) but, they've been at my pond a lot longer than I have and I figure that I'm in "their house" when I go out there so...it's rude to kill any animal out there without any real reason or purpose. I do draw the line at ticks though - every man's got his breaking point.
