Why Did God Create Snakes?

An interesting question we receive is, “Why did God create snakes?” Bible students refer to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, but that was a one-time event and actually dealt with Satan, not with an animal. Why should we, living thousands of years after Adam and Eve, have to deal with venomous snakes?  Why do many people have a fear of snakes and even find them repulsive?

The fact is that snakes offer some real benefits to humans, and their creation was not some kind of vindictive act by God. Scientists derived the first ACE inhibitor, a drug to lower blood pressure, from a South American pit viper. By studying sidewinder snakes, engineers have built robots that can wriggle into tight spaces to search for survivors after a disaster. Some people use snakes for food. Rattlesnake meat is a staple in Texas, and every year in March, Sweetwater, Texas, holds the “World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup.”

Like all animals, snakes are part of the balance of the populations of various creatures. Rodents are a major food source for snakes, and snakes also eat many insects and animals that threaten humans. Moving snakes into an area where they are not native has caused problems. That is the case with Burmese pythons that were brought into Florida as part of the pet trade and then released into the wild, where they reproduce without predators to control them. In their native environment, they eat large rodents and reptiles.

When people ask, “Why did God create snakes?” they should be reminded that they are not evil or a threat to humans in their natural environment. They have a purpose for existing and are not a negative commentary on God’s creation.

— John N. Clayton © 2025

Reference: Science News for May 2025, pages 77-79.