![scarlet king snake](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/wakullaco/environment/files/2015/03/Snake-Scarlet-King-Snake-WN-3-5-15-300x201.jpg)
Les Harrison is the UF/IFAS Wakulla County Extension Director
Human kind’s fear of snakes is long-lived and wide-spread. Even the most classic story, “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling was altered in the Disney adaptation to make Kaa, the python, a constant threat.
As comical as Kaa’s attempts to catch Mowgli were, the original character created by Kipling was wise and helpful throughout. What is it that makes snakes seem so evil–when, in fact, their existence is vital to our ecosystem? Read the full article here!