the ecological lesson is good and thought provoking, but i did want to add:
this could also be about trauma
this could also be about marginalized and criminalized populations
this could also be about colonized peoples
dominant social forces on every scale, through their reckless arrogance, always teach snakes that the best way to survive is to bite and run and hide

(also the literal example of rattlesnakes may or may not be accurate, don't believe everything you read on the internet)