Wally--

Most people classify all snakes together...and don't realize how deadly the black snakes are for the poisonous snakes.

Good to have them around for that reason, although they also eat other things, including the eggs of ground-nesting game birds like quail, grouse, and pheasants, as well as raiding the nests of songbirds.

We have them around the outside of the house where they are mostly looking for lizards.

Larry