Why I think people are so afraid of snakes:

This is just something that has been greatly brought to my attention over the past few months. I am the Animal care specialist at the pet store I work at, meaning I take care and handle all of the animals regularly.

Every time I have a snake out, whether it be a red tail, a ball python, or another type of harmless snake, 9 out of 10 people scream and run in the other direction; even though they see me from all the way across the store. It seems like their fear completely overcomes their logic, I mean do you REALLY think that this snake will grow wings, fly out of my hand and attack you?? Then I put the snake up and approach them, and the conversation usually goes as follows:

Me: have you ever had a bad experience with a snake?
Customer: no.
Me: have you ever been bitten by a snake?
Customer: no.
Me: have you ever held a snake?
Customer: no.
Me: then HOW can you be afraid of them?!
Customer: I don't know, I just am.


The reason I think people are so afraid of snakes is because they know nothing about them, and base everything they know off of what they see in movies, or hear from the media and/or their peers. Understandably, if I knew NOTHING about snakes and saw the movie "Snakes On A Plane" or "Anaconda" , I would probably be terrified of snakes as well. Snakes don't even get a chance from people to be understood, as the most irritating, incorrect statement that I have ever heard is "the only good snake is a dead snake". WRONG. Though there are snakes out there that can cause harm, people seem to accept every snake on the earth as one that will kill and eat a human any chance it gets. Wrong again. I have a good friend that has been terrified his entire life, and after he overcame the fact that I was holding my ball python Irwin near him, he decided to hold her and he FELL IN LOVE WITH HER!! This is just my little rant on the subject. Any similar thoughts? :)

We all fear what we don't understand.

So yes, a lot of it is just not knowing or understanding anything about them.

Gale

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Originally Posted by angllady2

We all fear what we don't understand.

So yes, a lot of it is just not knowing or understanding anything about them.

Gale

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Agreed. I run into this constantly. I have been able to teach quite a few people at least a little bit about snakes, and it usually assuages their fears or doubts. I've had people jump out of their skin when they saw a little garter snake, but a week later hold one of my big female BPs. It just takes a little education and understanding.

I like to tell people that my chihuahuas are far more dangerous than the snake Im holding. I usually get a snicker out of that. I also tell people I will give them $20 if they can make my snake bite them. That will usually break the ice and at least get them a little closer. A couple of times it has made a terrified person grab a snake from my hands. Money trumps fear sometimes! LOL! :D

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Originally Posted by Tfpets

I like to tell people that my chihuahuas are far more dangerous than the snake Im holding. I usually get a snicker out of that. I also tell people I will give them $20 if they can make my snake bite them. That will usually break the ice and at least get them a little closer. A couple of times it has made a terrified person grab a snake from my hands. Money trumps fear sometimes! LOL! :D

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I have to try this sometime!!!! :gj:

Going on the fear theme;

I took 3 of my bp's to my son's nursery school. One boy wouldn't come into the room until I was gone. However, three teachers heard I had the snakes in the room, and brought all their students. They all lined up nicely, came in 2 at a time, asked questions, and some got pictures taken with the snakes. A pure blast. The kids need to be educated young, and introduced in a safe manor. I was nervous as I did the show and tell in -20c weather. I microwaved those rice bags, covered in paper, and the three snakes all had their own bags which was all in a styrofoam cooler box, wrapped in a towel. That was a true test. Snakes are still healthy and I can't wait to show off the fourth one next time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tfpets

I like to tell people that my chihuahuas are far more dangerous than the snake Im holding. I usually get a snicker out of that. I also tell people I will give them $20 if they can make my snake bite them. That will usually break the ice and at least get them a little closer. A couple of times it has made a terrified person grab a snake from my hands. Money trumps fear sometimes! LOL! :D

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lol. good stuff. I used to work in a pet store in Toronto. The bird and small critters dept. I had a guy come in wanting to buy a hamster for his 3 year old daughter. I convinced him to buy a rat, cause I didn't want his daughter being bitten by the damn thing. (some hamsters are cool) but rats are way better!

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Originally Posted by Tfpets

I also tell people I will give them $20 if they can make my snake bite them.

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This is such a great idea! I'm so using it :)

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

You know adding to this theme a little. I adopted a lovely normal female who was born without eyes.

She is my spokesnake. People are drawn to animals with deformities or disabilities. Dog with three legs, cat with one eye, you all know what I mean.

Well, Athena has proven irresistible to people because she has no eyes. Even people who will get as far away as they can from a baby ball python or cornsnake, cannot help but be drawn to her. As soon as they hear she was born eyeless, they have to get close enough to see for themselves. And once they can see it, the questions start. How does she eat ? Can she see in heat with no eyes ? Does it hurt her that she can't see ? And on and on.

I tell them she eats just fine. Yes she can see in heat, in fact she can see you just fine. No, it doesn't hurt her or affect her in any way that she cannot see. Because she was born this way, she has no idea she's not just the same as any other ball python. Fascination draws them in, and before they know it, most want to hold her. Or at least pet her. They begin to talk to her, and tell each other how cool it is when she "looks" at them.

As she grows, she becomes even more interesting to people, because obviously she has a good life or she could not be so big and healthy. And people just can't comprehend she can have a normal life with no eyes. She has done more to educate people on "dangerous" ball pythons in the few months I've had her than years of me trying to tell people about them.

Gale