People should be affraid of snakes

[wyz]

Why are people affraid of snakes ? Cause it's normal ?? NO !

I'd say: religions, movies, + 100 other unfounded reasons.

Kids aren't born with that feart, that's for sure...

It's given to them by us .. adults !

Here's what happens when no one tells them that snakes are dangerous killers.

http://www.magazoo.com/albumsphotos/wyzza/python%20royal/familia.jpg

WYZ

[marisa]

I believe fear of snakes is somewhat natural for humans. IMHO Its an automatic instinct for us to move away from something that might bite us. Even after being bitten 900 times it can still be hard not to jerk back as that would be the natural reaction IMHO.

Kids are easier to get used to snakes for the same reason its easier for them to learn a new language.

:D cute pic BTW.

Marisa

[Invictus]

wyz raises an interesting point though. Look at movies like the Jungle Book. The snake is evil. Look at Aladdin. Jafar has a snake on his staff. Hell, even look at the bible for those of you religious folk out there. Satan appears to Adam and Eve in the form of a snake.

It's everywhere. Kids are being bombarded with imagery that shows nothing but evil, wretched snakes. So of course they will grow up associating these fairy tale characters with real life snakes.

[stormyva]

I think it is a "learned" fear brought on by all the things that Invictus mentioned.... churches, media, and most of all ill informed adults (parents) are what cause the fear. Most children under the age of 7 or 8 will readily walk up and handle or pet a snake without showing the slightest bit of fear, but walk up to most 12 or 13 year olds and the reaction is the opposite. Most will shy away from you.

[drewlowe]

LOL invictus that reminds me a few weeks ago we were channel surfing and i seen a burm on a stage. Well like anyone else here i immediatly paused and wanted to watch. I find out it's one of those church show things. And it was hillarious they were calling the snake a devil and what not. Saying snakes are the worst animals in the world and they are the devil in desguise. My boyfriend, one of our friends and myself were wishing that snake would turn and bite him in the a$$. had to share that one.

[marisa]

But humans naturally aren't supposed to like snakes. Its not that they are made to be evil its that they are supposed to be. WE are the minority who likes snakes. But for centuries they were death to come close too. No anti-venom, no proper medical procedures. etc. The fear is real and natural.

not everyone has to like snakes. But I agree people should be more rational about it.

Marisa

[Youkai]

I remember this one time at a store I was working at...
At the time, I had taken out the most gorgeous, tame, albino pine snake. I was going to wash out its cage, and was taking it to the back. Halfway there, this small boy maybe 3-4 years old at the most stops me and asked to see it. He was absolutely enthralled by the way it felt and looked. I'd never seen a kid giggle like that. Then his mom came around the corner, freaking out..."Get away from that dirty thing, they bite!"
The kid ran behind his mother's legs, terrified, and she scooted him out of the store.

Yes, some monkeys are afraid of snakes too. And I'd be willing to bet it's a learned behavior from adults and other members of the group. If people didn't <i>know</i> that they could bite, that they could be venomous, etc, they would be powerfully curious or at least indifferent - but not scared. People were not born knowing snakes are venomous, or that there was no cure for a venomous bite at the time, etc.

[JD@reptiles]

People are uneducated. That's the problem... If you do shows you may help change the way people think about other animals in the world.

Just a thought

Jordan

heres a show i did when i was 12, i am that blob in the back

[lordkovacs]

I think people's fear of snakes had happened out of generalizatoin. Here's what I mean...
We are taught at an early age that snakes are poisonous. So, we decipher that as "stay away from ALL snakes". This is obviously a generalization. However, parents that tell their children this are simply misinformed...they think they are doing the right thing by telling the kids to stay away, because they aren't educated enough to be more specific as to what snakes are poisonous. Case in point, I told my 21 year old cousin that I was getting another carpet python. He told me I was so crazy to do that. I was confused. He thought that pythons were poisonous! I think many people think as he does. However, we can try our best to change that by educating... starting with young people. It's much more important to educate youths because they are much more willing to learn. Anyway, good post..
cheers,
MIKE

[marisa]

My feelings are that yes parents say stay away from snakes....true. That's a generalization.

But parents who aren't interested in reptiles have no obligation to explain every single species and proper handling methods to kids if they happen to come across one in the backyard. Its safer for most parents (who are not reptile educated) to tell their kids to just leave all snakes alone.

I agree parents who teach kids to kill living things is sick, but I do not believe every adult or child on this planet has an obligation to understand how all species effect the ecosystem, and if they are venemous or not. Its up to each individual to fear snakes or not.

Marisa

[fateamber]

Like this person at school no matter how many times i tell him my corn snake and my bp will not have baby snakes he still continues saying the same thing. But that isn't the real point! I can't get why we here at ssnakess are not afraid of snakes like so many people are, its not like we didn't hear the same things about them!

[JD@reptiles]

Yeah, but we went to pet stores and places like that to get used to them, and i was like my brother, he used to catch snakes, now i do. I own over 30 snakes of my own. now my brother thinks im CRAZY. but oh well...

[corr]

I believe that our fear of snakes is also sparked by the inaccurate portrayals of them in movies and books. Snakes are almost ALWAYS portrayed as evil. By contrast, dogs are always portrayed as "good" (Cugo being the exception ;)). We all know this is not the case.

One thing is for sure, most people I've encountered, since becoming a snake keeper, think ALL snakes are venomous. Another thing is for sure, most people with large fears overcome them in a very short period of time when exposed to them. All of the false images are squashed when they touch or handle one. It's a fascinating subject really.

My wife lost a Christian penpal in Ghana because she found out that we kept snakes. She was convinced that we had brought a "great evil" into our home. On the other hand, we all know of the snake handling churches in the Southern states. They have a great respect for our slithery friends. At our church, we're known as the "snake handlers" LoL. The fact remains that the bible clearly distinguishes between "dangerous" venomous snakes and the harmless ones, ALL of which, I might add, Noah put on the ark. :)

[chas*e]

It is a learned fear for sure....the same group of Brownies at a reptile demo who find snakes interesting will scream with fear(or whatever) 3 years later in Girl Scouts...go figure....but if only one of the group doesn't fall to peer preasure and sees reptiles for what they really are then ....another sSnakeSs member.......Historically, religion, (all religions), that basically preys on an individuals fears, uses/used snakes as a scapegoat to portray an idea of death(evil) . They used snakes because most popular religions,Judeo-Christian and Islam, all came from a geographical area where the indiginous snakes are/were lethal venomous species and therefore carried a mystical, dangerous persona...In earlier cultures, in Egypt, the snake was an evil entity but also was respected as a needed part of the natural world. The Sun had to fight a Snake each night ,"and win" in order that it would rise in the morning....

[Beardonicus]

" The fact remains that the bible clearly distinguishes between "dangerous" venomous snakes and the harmless ones, ALL of which, I might add, Noah put on the ark. "

Not trying to start a flame here, but where exactly does it distinguish in the bible? Also, how did Noah put all of the "harmless venomous" snakes on the Arc? Doesn't that sound like an oxymoron?

[sapphire_moon]

Ok, without reading the rest of everyone else's post I'm going to say my 2 cents..........I think the fear of snakes is a learned trait. I grew up hearing either all bad things about snaks, or nothing at all. My mother and grandmother (whom i was raised by) were absolutely terrified of snakes. Then one year when I was 17 my mom met someone who had an iguana. My now step dad rescued a bp that was being fed on crickets (don't ask, because thats about all I know!) And my mom all of a sudden decided to fullfill my 8 year wish of wanting to own a snake......now she is not scared of snakes. But my grandmother is absolutely terrfied of them and actully said a blood python looked like a giant colorfull slug! And will only pet the tail of my male bp IF I hold the the snake by the back of the head! So I think it is a learned trait..........

[Yve]

i think educating young people is the key to squashing this 'eeeeeekkk' bug. It is lack of knowledge that causes people to hate and fear snakes and other uncommon, uncuddly creatures. When i was a kid I was scared of snakes for the simple reason that the adults around me were scared and I figured they knew best (ya right!). I must have been around 12 when I was puttin around on the beach with some friends and we came across a lady that showed us how to catch a water snake and handle it so it would not get hurt...I was facinated!...i got bit too! but it wasn't the horror i thought it would be.....i've been interested in snakes and facinated since. One day, a few minutes, changed my outlook.

[Lizzy]

The media has such a huge impact on how people percieve snakes. How many of you watch fear factor? I don't lots because I get queezy watchinng them eat gross stuff, but in the very few episodes I saw, snakes were involved in a stunt. One time they had to lay in a box and have snakes dumped on them, and stay there for a few minutes. Guess what terrifying snakes they dumped in? Corns, kings, milks, and the odd python. I mean really. None of these snakes were going to hrm the person whatsoever. I was more concerned with the snakes harming eacother or getting harmed by the needless conditions that they likely had to endure...being held in a giant bad to be poared over a person who was wiggling and thrashing.

The other stunt involved snakes being poared into a giant pool, and the contestants had to brave the snakes to recover things from the botom. again, only harmless snakes were thrown in, but the real clencher was a 15 foot albino berm. Oooo, so scary. Again the snakes were all held in a big bag and then dumped into a pool with no way out. How many drowed do you think?

It was so stupid watching these people be scared of such harmless creatures, and showing the world that they were creatures deserving of such a fear. I was so pissed off about it all.

Lizzy

[corr]

Beardonicus, I didn't mean "harmless venomous". I meant venomous snakes and harmless snakes. Now that I reread it, I wasn't very clear there.

There are many passages that clearly single out "venomous" snakes. If all were venomous, then God wouldn't make this distinction. It wouldn't be neccesary.

Deuteronomy 8:15
He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions.