why are so many people, particularly girls, afraid of snakes?

Question

Sometimes ill have a date over and my boa will be in his cage and the second they notice it, they jump back or freak out. I don't understand how a 3 foot boa curled up in a secure cage is that scary. A small dog is more dangerous than a a small boa constrictor. I ask why they are so scared and its always 'I don't know, its icky' or something stupid like that.

Answer 1

People are afraid of things they know nothing about. If a girl is afraid of snakes, she likely has never seen one in person or been exposed to snakes. Same thing for guys, kids, etc.
I was afraid of them before I started learning more about them and exposing myself to them often. Now I have a all python of my own and I absolutely love him!

Any human would be afraid of a perfectly harmless plant eating dinosaur (if they came back from the dead) right? Yes- because they don't know anything about them!

Its just logical thinking.

Answer 2

Hey John- what a wonderful question! You would think that with our higher educational system that we would know better but you may as well know that some people have phobias. Some people don't like what they don't understand. Some people are misinformed even today. Just go into a store and yell snake and you might just cause a stampede.But don't. For this reason we are loosing species every day. This was a trick of and I use the term loosely Men who hunted. They would paint pics and tell stories about their bravado when hunting things like the Congo Gorilla etc. I am sure that you do not play no other peoples fears with your friend. But Females will be what they are forever, that's why you and I can be Hero's in their eyes and save them from that KILLER mouse. Understand?

Answer 3

I'm not entirely shore but ill take a shot at this one. snakes have a bad rep and lot of people have had bad experiences with them or just heard about something happening evolving snakes. Another thing is its just a dominant train in femininity, like most girls will go to a guy when it comes to squishing a beetle. Not all people find snakes all that cool looking and think there just gross creepy things that are meant to be in the wild. Me on the other hand well i love snake and have never had any problems with them so i have also been wondering that same question and well that's what i have come up with so far.

Answer 4

ha ha me a girl myself have always been afraid of them I bet this is why when I was like 5 I was walking down the street with my grandpa and Gradma and a snake came jumping out of the ground and BIT me! Ouch! I was so scared I ran across the street. That is probably why then at school They brought in snakes for animal week in 3rd Grade and I would not go near them!!! I hope that answears your question 3ft is pretty big too... I hate creepy crawly things like that all girls hate something and snakes are not a girls best friend.

Answer 5

I know with me its because I was brought up with "Snakes are the devil" by my grandmother and others around me.

Its true that fear is learned, but the human brain is an amazing thing and over time the snake thing has built itself up so much in my head that I can now offically refer to it as a phobia. I'm 21 years old and refuse to go anywhere where snakes might lurke, watch 'The Crocodile Hunter', or even venture farther than my own front yard when I lived in North and South Carolina as a child.

So there's a lesson to be learned here...be careful what you say to children :)

Answer 6

This is not a new problem. After the serpent (in the Garden of Eden) tempted Adam and Eve, God cursed the serpent and put enmity betwen mankind and snakes. I have been outdoors a great part of my life and had "close calls" with poisionous snakes --- Copper heads, Moccasins, Rattlesnakes, and Spreading Adders (our American cousin of the Cobra). I hate them because I am unsure of where they are and what they will do. On my 200-acre retirement home, they are a serious problem in the woods and around my 3 ponds.

Answer 7

Because they are ignorant. No other reason.
I have found that by calmly asking them why they are afraid, and listening to their excuse, it is easy to get them to come around by simply pointing out the falseness of their misconceptions. Of course you have to do this in a way where you don’t sound like you’re trying to be condescending or they won’t listen. I’ve managed to bring around many a snake hater by just talking to them, and after they have calmed down, offering to let them touch the snake, usually they won’t do this unless I promise to keep my hand over the snake’s head, giving them (the person) a sense of security and they will usually reach out and touch it. Eventually they will get bolder once they realize that it isn’t slimy or icky feeling in any way. The most common thing people say after touching a snake for the first time is “Wow, it’s soft!”

Actually in my experience, women are much easier to bring around than men in this matter, and men tend to be much more vehement in their rejections of touching the snake. ;)

Answer 8

i am in no way scared of snakes. i love them. i want a ball python. again. i really miss having a snake.

i have a tarantula that is as big or bigger than my hand. she has never in anyway tried to bit me. she is so sweet and docile and loves exploring people. i've had her for six years. since that time i have been bitten by horses,dogs, cats, rats, hamsters, mesquitos(lol!), geckos, and many other animals.

i did get bit by a very over enthusiastic california brown snake. she thought my thumb was food. i made the mistake of feeding her in her cage and not putting her in a separate feeding container.

as in why people are scared of them because there are snakes that are poisonous that kill people. also big anacondas that squeeze the life out of their prey. the appearance of snakes to some people is that they are slimy. when they do get the nerves to touch them they are soft and strong.

Answer 9

It's mostly due to religious community's connotations as to what the snake represented with regards to causing man to sin. For clarity, it was a serpent and not a snake that spoke to Eve.
It also has a great deal to do with the way we have been socialized as a girl or boy. Girls are still being taught to play indoors with dolls, and talk on play telephones. They are still not encouraged to develop an interest in math and science (e.g., zoology, marine biology, veterinary medicine) where she may have more opportunity to study the beauty and wonder of animal life!!!

Answer 10

because we all hear story's about how snakes have fangs and can bite you, and everyone says to stay away from them. sometimes when you just notice something, especially a snake, you jump up and get scared. most people don't realize that not all of them are dangerous. but, good luck with that.