I hunted in pants on my first day in Zim this June. After that, it was shorts the rest of the hunt. It was just too hot when we were chasing elephant up and down the Escarpment to wear pants. Sure the legs get scratched up but that's no big deal in order to be cool and comfortable. They are also more quiet unless you squeal when scratched. If that's the case then you're better off just not going.

As to wearing pants to protect against snakebite, your pants are not going to save you. I remember a guy that used to catch rattlers and put them into a mailbag thinking the bag was safe to carry on his back. My friend pushed the bag off the tailgate of the truck and fangs shot through the thick canvas bag and venom went everywhere. The guy turned white as a ghost as he had carried them that way for years.