Help me overcome my fear of snakes?

Chelle · 03-09-13, 10:10 PM

Hi there. I'm Chelle.

I'm tired of letting fear rule my life. I'm being 100% serious when I tell you that my fear of snakes keeps me indoors, out of the lake, and has me turning down every single offer of camping during the summer. It's THAT bad. I actually dread warm weather for this reason and this reason alone.

My husband and I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage in June and I'd love nothing more than to surprise him with the camping/hiking trip he has wished for since before our wedding.

I live in the northwest metro-Atlanta area and I would like to find someone patient to help me overcome this fear. I want you to educate me, teach me how to identify a hot snake, and hopefully, eventually, help me get to the point of more than getting light headed and nauseated from fear when someone offers to let me handle their pet snake.

This site was recommended to me by BCR226, who has gorgeous snakes. Terrifying, but gorgeous.

Are there any places in Georgia devoted to this or are there any owners who would be willing to help me out some? I'm committed and determined to stop channeling a scared rat at the mere thought of a snake. I'm that banshee screamer in the back of the theater if a snake randomly appears in a movie. Ugh.

Help?

bcr226 · 03-09-13, 10:48 PM

I'd help but I'm in WV, welcome to the site! I'm sure someone can help out.

Glad you made it here!

Jeepers · 03-09-13, 11:35 PM

Ha, it's a shame I didn't move in with my fiance, I would of been about 30 minutes from ya! My biological father does live nearby, though, but he pretty much just owns chickens, dogs, and cats.

One thing I'd recommend is look up local venomous snakes online. Search up venomous snakes in your area and learn how to identify them via pattern and facial structure. A large majority of venomous snakes, especially vipers, have a facial characteristic known as 'pits'. They look like little dents near the nose.

(from: Identification of Pit Vipers | Georgia Country Blog )

(from: Snakes - Wildlife Conflicts Information Website )

(from: ANIMAL KINGDOM :: REPTILES :: SNAKE :: MORPHOLOGY OF A VENOMOUS SNAKE: HEAD image - Visual Dictionary Online )

Here, I'll help you with some venomous Georgia snakes as best as possible.

Southern Copperhead:

(from: A Little SE Texas Action )

Florida Cottonmouth:

(from: August in North Florida )

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake:

(from: Crotalus adamanteus (Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake) | Flickr - Photo Sharing! )

Canebrake Rattlesnake:

(from: Flickriver: Most interesting photos tagged with crotalushorridusatricaudatus )

Eastern Coral Snake:

(from: Eastern Coral Snake )

Jeepers · 03-09-13, 11:37 PM

Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake:

(from: Florida Venomous Poisonous Snake Photos )

I don't live in the area, so I'm not 100% certain, just trying to help. Maybe see if there's some local reptile zoo, sanctuary, etc. I know in my state they have a local reptile zoo dedicated to the study of antivenin in several species.

As far as hands on experience, a reptile expo may help, but it wouldn't be good as far as gradually getting over your fear. There's just a bunch of snake breeders there with many many snakes to sell. I remember I first fell in love with pythons when I held an adult female Jungle Carpet Python. She was a true beauty with a lovely demeanor, I wish I could have afforded her.

Also, most of these snakes want to avoid you at all costs, so, if you see one, just leave it alone and go elsewhere. You don't want to be around it, and it doesn't want to be around you. To them, you're big, you're scary, and they're afraid of you, they just want you to go away and will bite in defense, usually if you persist. They may fire warning shots, though. I don't know the behavior of these venomous snakes, but I know some venomous snakes will do bluff strikes. Still, in any situation, I wouldn't take the chance and just remove yourself immediately. Don't bother it any further.

The only one I can imagine may put on a big game is the Cottonmouth. They can have rather horrible dispositions if you disturb them, as far as I've read. It just depends.

Corey209 · 03-09-13, 11:42 PM

Home | SREL Herpetology Program

The website above will show you all the different reptiles you have in Georgia.

Jeepers · 03-09-13, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corey209

Home | SREL Herpetology Program

The website above will show you all the different reptiles you have in Georgia.

I see hognoses on that list!

-----

About the hognoses, a lot of them get killed because a lot of people mistake them for a dangerous snake.

They are mildly venomous but, in most cases, are of absolutely no harm to humans. They're rear fanged and only have a venom that usually causes painful swelling in the area bitten. The fact that they're rear-fanged means that it'd take several minutes for them to actually get their fangs in, so you'd honestly have to sit there and let it chew on you to have any issues.

These silly little fellas will perform many displays to get you to leave it alone, and, unfortunately, these displays cause some of them to be killed because they're very deceptive.

One display is flattening their neck to make a 'hood', mimicking a cobra. Another is bluff striking. They'll strike at you but only smack you with the tip of their nose. Most of the time they don't even open their mouths for this display. They'll also puff out air in a loud hiss. As an absolute last resort, if you don't leave them alone, is they'll play dead, to an extent where they void their bowels and regurgitate anything they may of recently eaten. I personally don't recommend hassling them to this point(some people do just to witness it), as regurgitation is unhealthy for a snake.

They may put on a big show, but they're virtually harmless and don't want to be bothered.

(I mention this information just to inform you and make sure you don't get spooked by these little napoleons!)

Donnie · 03-10-13, 01:34 AM

Hello and welcome

Good luck with overcoming your fear

Mark Taylor · 03-10-13, 01:39 AM

Hi and welcome.

StudentoReptile · 03-10-13, 08:05 AM

I wish I was closer as well.

The first step is viewing snakes as animals just as you would view deer, raccoons, birds, etc. They are a part of this planet just as you are, and each one has an ecological role.

They are not slimey. Anyone who has actually touched a snake can attest to this.

My recommendation is find a pet store or someone who has a pet snake, and start out as follows: Just get comfortable being in the same room with the snake still in the enclosure. Once you can accomplish this for an extended amount of time without anxiety, trying doing so with someone else holding the snake out of the cage some distance away from you. Sytematically, work your way towards actually touching it, then holding it. There's no time limits for any of this; however long it takes for you. Just find someone who is patient and willing to work with you.

reptimama · 03-10-13, 08:30 AM

Hi Chelle! I'm from the N. Ga area and though I am now in S. Ga I travel to the Atl. area pretty regularly. When/where are you planning on going camping? PM me, I may know some people or be able to help you

Chu'Wuti · 03-10-13, 09:31 AM

Hey, Chelle,

Welcome to the forum! Even your willingness to LOOK at pics of snakes and to talk with us about snakes is a step towards decreasing your phobia; I think it's really cool that you're trying to do this for your DH!

I can really related to having a phobia like this. You may think mine is pretty silly--I'm not the least bit phobic of snakes, spiders, frogs, worms, etc. However

don't bring me any cockroaches!!! AAARRHGHGGHGH!

Well, actually, it's not quite THAT bad any more, but it used to be that bad. I've been working on that phobia for several years, bit by bit, and as I want to be able to have herps that are insectivores and give them a reasonably varied diet, I'm going to have to make it farther along--to raising Dubia roaches. So I'd better do some more work . . . fortunately, I have a friend in the local herp society who is willing to help me; he's an invert guy and has all kinds of six- and eight-legged critters.

Which brings me to the point of my post--you might try contacting someone at the link below, for the Atlanta Herpetology Club, for help with desensitization:

Atlanta Herpetology Club Links

LOTS of Luck!

ilovemypets1988 · 03-10-13, 09:37 AM

hi and welcome, this is gunna sound completely stupid, but try getting a real life looking toy snake, like a rubber 1 and have it in the room with you, somewhere you will see it constantly, you will start to learn to ignore it and then you can move onto the real thing, id suggest putting it on top of ur tv or similar location

Chu'Wuti · 03-10-13, 09:49 AM

Speaking just for myself, the rubber critter doesn't work. I was given a rubber cockroach once and a little mechanical one that actually moved when we wound it up; neither bothered me at all because I knew they weren't actually cockroaches. Bring a real cockroach near me? I'm shuddering right now just thinking about it--and I'm truly much better than I was 20 years ago when I couldn't even SAY the word or let anyone else say it around me!

However, everyone's different, so that could be a great suggestion, as Chelle might find a rubber snake a useful first step.

Valvaren · 03-10-13, 09:58 AM

I live to far away to physically help I just want to tell you that it might not be as hard as you think it's going to be once you start. My mother used to be ill over pictures, and the night she met my first snake it was a horrible situation, but with patience she is now at the point when she is over my house she wants to hold them all and sits with them for as long as she's here, refers to them as her grandkids to coworkers and friends, and has volunteered to be our babysitter and feed and clean everyone if we vacation.

I wish you luck and welcome to the forum, perhaps someday you'll have a scaley baby of your own

.

Chu'Wuti · 03-10-13, 10:03 AM

Valvaren, it's great to hear of such a success story! I'm so glad you shared that!