Like Shere Khan and the Bandar-log, the snakes rely on deception to achieve their goals. They do not care about anyone other than themselves, and thus they are a threat to the entire garden. Allegorically, the snakes represent those in India who oppose the British Empire and seek to disrupt the British colonial presence in India. Unlike Rikki-tikki-tavi, they have no loyalty—a quality Kipling repeatedly applauds. Of course, it’s unclear why the snakes should feel loyal to people who invaded their garden, but Kipling, in his staunch defense of British imperialism, does not address this issue.