Snakes instill a deep-rooted fear in many people that few other animals can match. But there’s no justification for the persecution of these animals and the acts of violence often committed when even the most harmless of them is sighted.

Glue boards (also known as glue traps) might seem like a safe solution to ridding your home of uninvited guests of the crawling, flying or scurrying sort, but they are one of the cruelest.

Decaying logs and miniature bogs, hollowed stalks and piled rocks, nutritious pollen and leaves fallen: They’re not the stuff of traditional nursery rhymes and baby showers. But if wild mothers-to-be had gift registries, these natural supplies would top the list. Though the basic elements for...