What do you make of snake-phobic 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.

I think some people are born with irrational fears. It's instinctive. I have an anecdotal example of how this might be true. My cats are tabby cats, which I believe were domesticated in areas where there are not many snakes, they ignore our ball python. The snake can crawl on them and they don't care. Now my girlfriend's cat is a Siamese, a cat domesticated in Asia where there are many snakes. He knew the snake was in the house the first time we brought the snake home. We walked in the door and he sniffed the air a bit, tail goes poof and he hysterically jets away. Now he is a bit better but if he jumps on the couch while we are handling the snake, almost immediately his tail poofs up and he runs away. We're talking about a baby ball python here, and he doesn't even need to see it, just smell it, and he freaks out. Also, snakes will spook a horse that has never seen a snake in its life. I imagine the same thing can happen with people.

Now on the other side of the spectrum are people who choose to be 'afraid' or to dislike snakes because of how snakes have been portrayed throughout history. These people can be convinced otherwise. My girlfriend's mother, upon hearing we got a snake, said, "IT LIVES IN YOUR HOUSE AND YOU TOUCH IT?" Then when she came out here she held him and was fine with it.

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Originally Posted by icygirl

I'm not sure fear of snakes is instinctual. Lots of times little kids are the most curious and fascinated by snakes, while their parents are usually the "urghh.. *shudder*" culprits... which leads me to believe it's a learned behavior...

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agreed. my friends kid, andrew LOOOVES Aphrodite(BP) and Button(BCI).
also, i was NEVER afraid of snakes. Loved catching garters as long as i can remember... even getting bit, i didn't mind. Though these boids sure got some hearty dents... i'm sure i'd mind that!

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Originally Posted by jwarriner

I think some people are born with irrational fears. It's instinctive. I have an anecdotal example of how this might be true. My cats are tabby cats, which I believe were domesticated in areas where there are not many snakes, they ignore our ball python. The snake can crawl on them and they don't care. Now my girlfriend's cat is a Siamese, a cat domesticated in Asia where there are many snakes. He knew the snake was in the house the first time we brought the snake home. We walked in the door and he sniffed the air a bit, tail goes poof and he hysterically jets away. Now he is a bit better but if he jumps on the couch while we are handling the snake, almost immediately his tail poofs up and he runs away. We're talking about a baby ball python here, and he doesn't even need to see it, just smell it, and he freaks out. Also, snakes will spook a horse that has never seen a snake in its life. I imagine the same thing can happen with people.

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By definition, "irrational" is something that is not logical or rational. Scientifically, it is not possible for a human to be born with an "irrational" instinct just as it is not possible for any animal. Instincts are the most primitive of behaviors and limited in their overall scope. Your example of cats is by far different than a human, as the two can not be even remotely compared to each other concerning brain function, reasoning and intelligence. A Siamese cat is a more intelligent cat than a tabby (that's not to say that tabbys are dumb by any means). I have a Siamese as well as a tabby. In addition, Siamese are more territorial than tabbys and are more inclined to be protective/defensive than other breeds of cats...*that* is the instinct, not the particular animal they are exhibiting the attitude and behavior toward.

As humans, we are born with certain instincts, basically they are:
fear, hunger, joy
Fear: if a baby is tossed up into the air, the sudden, quick movement into the unknown with nothing securing it will cause a reaction of "what the?* and the baby will cry. If you continue that action while laughing and comforting the baby, eventually the "what the?" will turn into "do it again Mom!"... hence, learned reaction/behavior.
A fear of *any* particular animal or any one thing is learned, period. If it was instinctual then infants and young children would not fearlessly reach out their hands to touch something or try and pick it up.

For common sense comparison purposes:
How can an infant "instinctively" be afraid of snakes but not instinctively be afraid of dogs, cats, fish, knives, birds, bees, or fire without being taught that these things could potentially harm them?

Basically, irrational fears are cause and effect.

Many people that we know/had over, were under the impression that most snakes are venomous. Once I inform them that BPs are not, as are many other snakes not venomous, they are willing to open up to them more. I thought that in grade-school, we were taught about constrictors, which don't have venom, but kill prey through constriction. I guess that there were many people out sick that month.. lol.

My mom tried to teach me snakes were bad when I was little. Growing up everything my parents told me I usually did the opposite so when I was 6 I caught a garder and let it go in the house. Scared my mom even more. Then I started catching them throughout the years and releasing them and she eventually got over it. Now that I have 2 BPs and a Hognose I take one of them almost EVERYWHERE I go that allows animals and introduce them to new peeps. The question I think I get asked the most is "Why would you keep a poisonous snake?" When Im at a friends house thats usually when I decide to either put the snake in there face or act like its trying to bite me and start freaking out. Gives some people a big rush but then I explain to them how docile they are and that most snakes do not have venom. More people are afraid of my hognose than the BPs. Especially after I tell them that it does contain mild venom but is not lethal unless you have some type of allergic reaction. Hes not the first snake people want to hold when theyve never held one but they usually do get a short lesson on snakes.

Yeah, I don't get it... but you know what kind of freaks me out (in person, that is)- solifuge! I know they're not dangerous in the slightest, but they're FAST! When i was in Africa they would cross a room in about half a second, and sometimes go up a leg! This pic isn't quite what ours looked like (they were a bit fatter, and supposedly what the little egg-layers in Alien are modeled after), but it's close:

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../solpugid2.jpg


Also, when you stepped on them, it was about a gallon of goo on your foot! I know we have a lot of spider lovers on here, but it's the only creature that has ever creeped me out! ;)

The entire order of Solfugidae are trippy looking!
I guess if we're going to mention the critters that DO tend to freak us out, mine would be roaches. I raise them as feeders for my tarantulas and scorpions but the hubby has to feed them to our inverts. I can't handle being that close to them. They weird me out too much even though they're harmless... I'll play with snakes, pick up worms and let spiders and scorpions walk all over me but I jump back when one of my hissers actually hisses at me....I'm a dork. :D

I know this is an odd place for spider questions, but since you have so many... can you play with your tarantulas? I've always thought they LOOK cool, but I'd be a little hesitant about the whole fang thing. ;)

In a way I respect people that are afraid of snakes and in a way I don't. I understand people that had experiences with snakes that weren't good, but hate people that are afraid of snakes "just cause, they're ugly!" OK, you can not like snakes but you shouldn't hate them.
I always say I'd love to see one of those people be put on a planet with no snakes... they'd get eaten by rats, mice and other nasty stuff. :)