Why I think people are so afraid of snakes:

Embarrassing true fact. When I first got Ekans this February I was pretty afraid of snakes. I wanted one, I knew all about them, Everything else fine. But I was actually afraid to hold it. Well after a week of owning him I started to (this is embarrassing) hold him with thick gloves on. Would probably hurt still through the gloves but it gives you that false sense of security. Any ways after holding him 3 times (3 days) In a row I started to take the gloves off and now I have him out of the cage as much as a can. With no problems and I am completely fine with my new ball python to!

Biggest reason we fear things is fear of the unknown itself. Take that leap of faith. True wonders will come afterwards.

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Originally Posted by kon1

I believe so many people fear snakes do to thousands of years of stigma attached to them such as eve and the apple, and all the horror stories of giant man eating snakes: as some believe it could just be a part of our subconcious that has developed over millions of years to be fearful of predators in general, misseducation helps none of this either. Just my 2 cents

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The adam and eve story is a weak excuse for being afraid of snakes imo. If god picked a sloth to tempt them then it wouldnt have worked bc sloths are lame. He picked a snake bc theyre awesome and knew it would get their attention. BOOM

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

The adam and eve story is a weak excuse

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I think fairy tales are a great reference on why people are afraid of snakes :p

There is actually scientific proof that humans and most other animals have an instinctual fear of snakes. Baby girls will actually react with fear to snakes around 11 months old with no prior conditioning. Baby boys start having the same reaction around 13-14 months old. If you watch other animals around snakes, they almost always have a wary demeanor when approaching snakes. It's hard wired into most species. Then there are people like me who saw a snake and went "oooooo...." <grabs snake>. Pretty sure Darwin would say I shouldn't be in the gene pool. ;)

As people get older, many have parents who tell them that snakes are dangerous, etc and society reinforces that. It just takes a leftover instinct and magnifies it into a full blown fear of an animal that wouldn't hurt them.

Reptiliachnids, Ekans bite wouldn't hurt. Might break the skin but corns, even as adults, don't really hurt. Just make you jump when they strike. ;)

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Originally Posted by Dracoluna

There is actually scientific proof that humans and most other animals have an instinctual fear of snakes. Baby girls will actually react with fear to snakes around 11 months old with no prior conditioning. Baby boys start having the same reaction around 13-14 months old.

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Leaving the animals out of the equation, I would like to see this scientific proof that humans have an instinctual fear of snakes. Please direct me to the study or post a link.

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Originally Posted by Slim

Leaving the animals out of the equation, I would like to see this scientific proof that humans have an instinctual fear of snakes. Please direct me to the study or post a link.

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X2. I can understand animals that would be lower on the food chain being programmed to fear them. But we sit alone at the top of the food chain. I don't see humans fearing snakes instinctually.

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Originally Posted by Dracoluna

There is actually scientific proof that humans and most other animals have an instinctual fear of snakes. Baby girls will actually react with fear to snakes around 11 months old with no prior conditioning. Baby boys start having the same reaction around 13-14 months old.

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Yeah, I'd like to see this too. I have no doubt that 11-14 month olds on general do react, but at that age it is a learned response, not an instinctual one. That kid would have had to have been locked in a closet it's whole life not to have some exposure to snakes. My kids do not have this fear, but when you grow up around 80 snakes it is kinda hard to. I do have to admit that my 3 yr old gets a little worried around them from time to time, but only after he gets bit by one. The snakes are teaching him not to pull out their tubs and stick his hands in.

I would actually believe that babies are instinctually afraid of snakes. A friends son has been around our snakes since he was about 2 months old, pet them a few times after he was 6 months old but recently decided he is deathly afraid of them. Don't know why, certainly didn't come from the parents!

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Originally Posted by Tfpets

I would actually believe that babies are instinctually afraid of snakes. A friends son has been around our snakes since he was about 2 months old, pet them a few times after he was 6 months old but recently decided he is deathly afraid of them. Don't know why, certainly didn't come from the parents!

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Soooooo that would make the fear a learned response and not instinctual.

I would actually believe that babies are instinctually afraid of snakes. A friends son has been around our snakes since he was about 2 months old, pet them a few times after he was 6 months old but recently decided he is deathly afraid of them at 13 months old. Don't know why, certainly didn't come from the parents!