OK. Shall we stop this before it gets out of hand?

Didymus was on the scene and clearly he did consider other options before reaching for a brick. The forum is an outlet for the way he felt about what he felt he had to do. For anyone who wasn't there to tell him he should have done something else is wrong - it's clear from what I've read that he didn't dispatch the injured snake without thinking first.

Mike - you're making assumptions about the life of an animal you didn't see, if Didymus made a judgement call that the snake had terminal injuries I trust that call because I know the decision wouldn't have been easy. It doesn't always take a vet to know that an animal isn't going to make it. I don't think anyone is arguing that there weren't other options, but based on the information we've been given the other options weren't viable. I don't for one moment believe that an animal rescue centre (if there was one nearby) would have spent a lot of money to try to keep this snake alive. Didymus has already said that the nearest place he could have sought veterinary expertise was a 3 hour drive away - that is not a practical option in my eyes. So other options were explored, and found to be non-viable.

I don't think there is much else to be said in this thread, the two of you won't agree and I think the rest of us should now keep our opinions to ourselves.