What do you make of snake-phobic people?

In my experience, most folks who are scared of snakes are only scared because

A: Snakes are strange and unfamiliar to them or

B: Someone was being a moron and deliberately scared them with one.

Those are the only two real reasons I've ever encountered. It's pretty much always either a bad experience that could have been avoidable or just innocent ignorance that can be corrected if a person is willing to listen.

Mythology, Symbolism, etc is fascinating, but when people say that's why they're scared of snakes it's really just an excuse. A lot of folks use the Bible or other scripture to excuse their own bad behavior, prejudices, etc by picking and choosing from it what's convienient rather then what helps them progress and be better people. Just my opinion there.

btw, has anyone here seen Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events? I've never seen a children's series/movie treat snakes so lovingly the whole Reptile Room thing was delightful.

Up until about 3 months ago, i was one. I would start to shake if one even came near me! But when my boyfriend's new BP wouldn't eat for him he convinced me to try. That was the beginning of the end of my fear. We now have 16 BPs and a few other herps.

When i was about 5 or 6 (living in Alberta, Canada) I was on a farm running through a pasture and almost stepped on a rattler. I think that was where my fear started.

My son was introduced to snakes when i was still petrified of them. I told him mommy had a bad experience with snakes when i was little but he could pet them and hold them if he wanted to. Our 8 year old normal BP is now 'his', and he absolutely adores her!

Gist of it is, i think fears of snakes is mostly learned or from a bad experience. I also think thats a bloody shame as they are beautiful and somewhat intoxicating creatures.

Wow! 16 snakes in 3 months? You must have fun with all that quarantine! LOL

A big factor in the fearing of snakes, is that your primeval brain is programmed so that you will step away from or be very wary of snakes. Its a natural instinct and one we should be thankful of. Its what helps us decide when we are in a fight or flght situation. The evolved part of our brains helps us to rationalize and not freak out at the sight of every snake we see. This is were the phobias kick in with certain people, there brains switch off, the panic sets in and there's no reassurance to be offered that can settle them down.

Of course the media and such don't help to dispel the myths about these wonderful creatures but what can you do apart from educate.

The whole about the bible having an effect on the rep of snakes is probably true but i find the bible laughable (i haver read it twice). As for kids always going forward to hold or touch a snake, what more do you expect. Mothers in the wild have to train their kids what dangerous and whats safe. Kids will play with anything no matter what the risk. That wee part of their brain hasn't developed yet that tells them of possible danger.

Some people are scared of snakes, some aren't. Its only natural

I think people are mostly afraid of snakes because it is something unfamiliar to them. Also, some people think they are supposed to be afraid of them. Snakes are dangerous, snakes are a pest, they are evil, slimey, creepy. The majority of people who are afraid of snakes are women. My mother is uncomfortable around them, my sister is terrified and a lot of my friends won't go near a snake. How many times have you ever seen a cartoon with a mouse that the wife didn't get on a chair and shreak when the mouse came in? Its society and the media. The only time of you hear of snakes on tv is someone got bit, or constricted, or swallowed. So naturally people tend to be uneasy or afraid of something with so much negative press.

My sister tried to convince me that ball pythons, anacondas, and corn snakes were venemous. :confused: I was like "Hold on there sister. There is soooooo much you don't know about snakes." A lot of it is no education. If someone would take the time, get up a little courage and actually touch or hold a snake, I think their respect for the snake would increase as they see that snakes are not out to get them. They are not slimey or gross. They are just like any other animal out there, they just do things a little differently.

Okay i had to post.. :) In the bible it also says (its in mark not word for word) its about if you beleive in the lord and jesus the faithful will take up with serpents and will not be harmed.. With that right there i got my friend who believed snakes where from satan to pet my sweetest ball.. So just tell the bible ones to read mark and that if they are truly faithfull our friends the serpents are a time of the coming.. Or something like that my friend bought it hook line and sinker.. :P :D :P

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Originally Posted by poseyof5

Okay i had to post.. :) In the bible it also says (its in mark not word for word) its about if you beleive in the lord and jesus the faithful will take up with serpents and will not be harmed.. With that right there i got my friend who believed snakes where from satan to pet my sweetest ball.. So just tell the bible ones to read mark and that if they are truly faithfull our friends the serpents are a time of the coming.. Or something like that my friend bought it hook line and sinker.. :P :D :P

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People that use the Bible to shun snakes trip me out. In book of Luke Jesus cursed the fig tree :eek: who likes Fig Newtons, Jesus cast Legion into a herd of pigs :O I love bacon.

And technically God took the serpents legs after its betrayal so it was a lizard first LOL not a snake.

3:14 The Lord God said to the serpent,“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all the wild beasts and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat 39 all the days of your life.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

People that use the Bible to shun snakes trip me out. In book of Luke Jesus cursed the fig tree :eek: who likes Fig Newtons, Jesus cast Legion into a herd of pigs :O I love bacon.

And technically God took the serpents legs after its betrayal so it was a lizard first LOL not a snake.

3:14 The Lord God said to the serpent,“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all the wild beasts and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat 39 all the days of your life.

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Actually it's simple to prove that snakes are badass, even in the eyes of God. Remember how God first exposed his power to the Egytians to free his people? He turned Moses' staff into, guess what, a snake. Boo yea baby.

What do I make of snake and rat phobic people? Playdoh works.. *squish*

There was a woman at the vet yesterday who was getting her neurotic Weimeraner ultrasounded(damned backyard breeders...), and when she walked by my rat Rom(who was there to get a Mitaban dip because his nasty breeder inbred him beyond all recognition and kept them in foul conditions), she said "IS that a rat?? EWWW..."

All I said was.. "Mine is registered and pedigreed, what about yours?"

Uppity, ignorant people.

I'm glad to hear experenced people talk about the fear factor of snakes. I am pretty new to snake keeping. I have a baby corn (Mazie) and perhaps the most beautiful BP (Lucy) in the world!!! I was too scared of my little tiny baby corn snake to even hold her in the store. It took me days to get up the courage to hold her. Needless to say, she has been very patient with me and has taught me that I had nothing to fear.

I think people's fear of snakes is deep, primitive, and healthy, similar to our fear of heights, or class five rapids. Courage is not acting without fear, it is acting in spite of it.