Natural fear of snakes?

[tbowman]

I've heard and read many times that humans have a natural fear of snakes. That was never the case for me. The first 7 or 8 years of my life I was taught that snakes were evil creatures to be avoided at all costs.

That all went out the window literally the second I saw a snake for the first time (An albino burm) I actually have a photo of this experience somewhere. Probably a week later I had my very first pet snake after lots and lots of begging of parents.

Spiders on the other hand, I have a completely unexplainable fear of. That seems very difficult to rid myself of. And the thing is, nobody ever tried to instill in my the fact that spiders were bad, I've just always feared them.

What is your experience with this "natural fear of snakes"? Do you believe it is natural or a learned condition?

[HVani]

From what I have seen, most kids don't naturally fear snakes, they pick it up from their parents. I've never been afraid of snakes. I believe it's totally learned. From what I understand the only fears we are truly born with are a fear of falling and a fear of loud noises. But many do not carry these fears throughout their lives.

[Lizardlicks]

There's interesting research suggesting that some fear of snakes is instinctual in monkeys, having their brains hard wired to react negatively to things that move with a slithering motion. Hard to say how much that applies to people though. Me, my husband, his cousins, and our daughter all love snakes. One of his uncles and his mom are terrified of them, but niether of them can point to any specific event or anything someone tried to teach them that made this happen. Paul (the uncle) has even tried to get over his fear by being around snakes; he helped a friend move a big retic to a new enclosure, he's held other peoples snakes, and even goes to pet shops to look at them behind glass, all to no avail. He can mitigate his reation, but he still gets bad heebee jeebees.

So, it might be a little of both and down to the individual.

[Felidae]

Few years ago I had read some interesting study about it, but now I cannot recall from where/who.
Here some links (I don't know if the sources are trustful) for start.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0227121840.htm
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/ani...may-be-genetic
http://www.parentingscience.com/fear-of-snakes.html

I remember in the "kid myself" the curiosity was stronger than the fear.

[alucard0822]

My mother is terrified of snakes, couldn't look at one on TV without getting upset, my Dad used to keep Cal Kings, and catch western diamondbacks long before I was born, he has 0 fear, and a healthy interest. I think there is a fine line between fear and curiosity inherent with something so different from us, haven't met anyone indifferent to them, guess like most things it is a primordial survival skill that modern people react to in different ways. Personally I was a little afraid as a kid, but my dad kept me interested, when I got my first BP about 20 years ago it was an odd thrill, basically fear that I overcame every time I handled him, like jumping a motorcycle or firing a gun, and I grew to love and respect it, never has gotten routine or boring. Even now there is a tiny flash of apprehension every so often when I first pick mine up, it's different from most every other pet I have kept, my wife likes to look, but doesn't like handling them, although my 3 year old is 100% curious, wants to handle any snake he can, likes pointing them out in shows and any zoo we visit.

[D1C]

Most of it comes from lack of information of the source of fear. Most all we see are poisonous snakes or large constrictor. Most people aren't exposed to them to debunk the myths or counter the fear. My mom is deathly afraid of snakes but allowed me to have them growing up and now she holds my bp. The more exposure, the less the fear....unless there is a traumatic event

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[Zincubus]

I've heard and read many times that humans have a natural fear of snakes. That was never the case for me. The first 7 or 8 years of my life I was taught that snakes were evil creatures to be avoided at all costs.

That all went out the window literally the second I saw a snake for the first time (An albino burm) I actually have a photo of this experience somewhere. Probably a week later I had my very first pet snake after lots and lots of begging of parents.

Spiders on the other hand, I have a completely unexplainable fear of. That seems very difficult to rid myself of. And the thing is, nobody ever tried to instill in my the fact that spiders were bad, I've just always feared them.

What is your experience with this "natural fear of snakes"? Do you believe it is natural or a learned condition?

I think that many just see either deadly Cobras on the TV and then go to the local Zoo and be faced with huge , ugly looking dark browny black Boas and Burms sleeping in a dark corner of an enclosure .
So the majority are ore- programmed to think that they are vicious , deadly , huge ugly creatures .i was in our local pet store and I was handed a stunning looking , very gentle , two foot long , bright yellow Butter Corn snake and fell in love with snakes that very moment !

[SnakeBalls]

Sounds like it's time to pick up a spider pet ;D

I always stayed far away from snakes. Still hate garters to this day. Getting one has made me much more comfortable with them.

SPIDERS on the other hand, no way!

[Darkbird]

I think it can be both ways, but in most cases it is learned. Some probably do have an instinctual fear, after all none of us are totally without our primitive sides, even though some won't admit it. Not hard to imagine our ancestors connecting the event of one of thier own being bitten by the strange, slender wiggly thing, then dying. Might even explain why many don't have the instinctual fear, might have to have ancestors from an area where deadly bites were common. And I could be totally off here too. But I too was one of those that was raised in an environment where "the only good snake is a dead one", but I just never had an inherent fear. And I have seen many, many children just walk right up to their first snake with nothing but wonder in their eyes too.

[JLC]

This is just my personal opinion, but I don't think humans are born with a "natural" fear of anything. Be it snakes, heights, spiders, close-in spaces, clowns, or anything else. I think all those deep-seated fears are brought on by something. It may be something that happened so early on that the person has no recollection of it. It may be something that happened extremely gradually (societal influences) so that no specific root cause can be identified....but none of it is "born" into us.