I agree that it is mostly ignorance. Usually, when I tell someone that I have a ball python they ask if she will eat my dogs...I think they just hear the word "python" and automatically assume its a huge snake. It puts things in perspective better when I tell them that she only weighs 2.2 lbs so she couldn't do much damage if she tried. I really hate how snakes are portrayed in the media! I wish that the general public was educated better about snakes. Everyone seems to think that they are mean and slimy.
My mom hadn't really interacted with snakes before meeting Winry so she didn't really have a reason to dislike snakes. She just thought that they were creepy and that all of them would bite. After meeting my ball python she said that she "looks like a puppy". She even went to a reptile exo with me in January and really enjoyed it. Recently she held a boa at a pet store and wanted to take her homeIt helps when people keep an open mind.