How you are losing snakes: Explained by testing engineer

I have been testing this theory as well and I believe you are right. I've also noticed that it's the same towns that let my snakes loose each time. I'm curious if these same neighbor's towns are doing the same to other players.

The downside is that if a player hasn't earned the whacking license yet, they are out the snakes because they can't recapture them. So, it would be best to avoid the towns that affect their totals until they get their license.