Mary sees three breeding balls with 8 snakes each and 6 additional pairs of snakes. How many snakes did she see total? Think carefully first, then make a decision:
First find how many snakes were in all the breeding balls: 3 balls * 8 snakes / ball = 24 snakes. Then find how many snakes are in all the pairs: 2 snakes / pair * 6 pairs = 12 snakes. Then add the number of snakes in both types of groups to find the total number of snakes: 24 snakes + 12 snakes = 36 snakes. So, the answer is 36.