There is an African plain, there are trees, grasses, some seasonal rivers/lakes, and snakes.

Upon the plain lives a society of tribesmen (think along the lines of the [Maasai Mara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_Mara) people)

[![enter image description here](https://l7.alamy.com/zooms/5e1e3bdb36f9477cbb4c5d1f00c5a17b/kenya-narok-district-maasai-men-walk-home-across-the-short-grassy-bfmrj0.jpg)](https://l7.alamy.com/zooms/5e1e3bdb36f9477cbb4c5d1f00c5a17b/kenya-narok-district-maasai-men-walk-home-across-the-short-grassy-bfmrj0.jpg)
[This image used with permission: Source (Alamy)](http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/masai-mara-tribe.html)

These tribes love life, but hate snakes - they are the embodiment of the evil spirits, they cannot be eaten, they also cannot be killed (life is more treasured than evil is hated).

Of course, there's plenty of snakes around.

So the question (obviously) is how can the tribesmen get the snakes off the plain?
['https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/72475', 'https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com', 'https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/users/-1/']
Just ask Moses
==============

From [Artapansus of Alexandria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artapanus_of_Alexandria) in his History of the Jews: 

> 
> Jealousy of Moses' excellent qualities induced Chenephres to send him
>  with unskilled troops on a military expedition to Ethiopia, where he
>  won great victories. After having built the city of Hermopolis, he
>  taught the people the value of the ibis as a protection against the
>  serpents, making the bird the sacred guardian spirit of the city...
> 
> 
> 

Behold, your savior
===================

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TbKjq.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TbKjq.jpg)

Your people worship the Ibis
============================

Not only are [Sacred Ibis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_sacred_ibis)' great for keeping around and eating snakes, they are also native to the same plains that the Masai Mara live on, and they are [easy to worship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth) too!

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rWMQ1.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rWMQ1.jpg)
Why do you have snakes on the plain in the first place? Rodents! So you need to find a way to control the rodent populations. If the snakes have nothing to eat, they won't hang about in large numbers.

Introduce species that will eliminate the rodents and the snakes won't have prey. This is why Bast was an Egyptian Goddess. She represented cats, which kept critters out of the grain cribs. Also weasels and ferrets and mongoose might help. The mongoose will also eat the snakes as well. Then the whole killing snakes becomes a circle of life thing.

Mammals are going to have an advantage in that they are not as affected by cold. 

In a culture like you describe, though, I would think the snake might at least be respected because it does help control the rodent population without endangering the food supply. So Sam L Jackson may not be necessary after all.