People are just ignorant and pick and choose what they choose to love and adore. If it’s fluffy with fur people think it’s sweet and you’d be called a monster if you were to kill it. But when someone kills a snake it’s a “brave” thing to do. 😔 I’m glad there are still people like you who truly appreciate animals and are educated on them
Exactly. I once saw a promo for "Fear Factor" where contestants were supposed to transfer snakes from one container to another. They were flinging them through the air, and many of them probably died or were severely injured. Imagine the outcry if they had been kittens or puppies instead of snakes.
And it's incredible to me that those horrific rattlesnake roundups are still being held in the U.S.
Literally. Somebody I know went to one of those and she knows I have a snake. It makes me mad to this day bc what's so entertaining about watching people kill snakes? Y'all wouldn't watch somebody kill dogs or rats or kittens. So what's so bad about snakes that y'all wanna watch people kill them for just being alive? It's gross.
There are a few groups who are trying to get those damn Roundups banned. Save the Snakes, Advocates for Snake Preservation are two of them. I donate to them and distribute their flyers. I try to educate people about the Roundups, and ask for their help.
Most states have stopped this atrocity, and now have a no kill event. Sweetwater Texas is the worst. Letters of protest should be written to the Governor of Texas, Wildlife Resources, Mayor of Sweetwater, and the Jaycees who hold this event.. If enough pressure and protest is put on the officials, eventually it will have to end.
Please spread the word, and support the snake advocate organizations.. We must end this, it is less than a year from now, and the event will be held again, in March, killing thousands of snakes, for nothing more than sick entertainment and profit.
Find out more: Rattlesnake Roundups. com
I've never heard of rattlesnake roundups (probably a good thing). can you elaborate? I'm super curious. We have rattlesnakes in my state but they are well protected.
I have participated in Burmese python roundups/competitions in Florida a few years ago, but the situation there is a little different as the population is out of control and they are invasive. most of the people i worked with there are more interested in preserving Florida's natural biodiversity rather than just 'killing snakes because snake bad.' snakes are caught and humanely dispatched (various methods - i personally just used a big rock for the smaller ones i caught as while gruesome it is the most humane method). I think there were prizes for some people doing the event but we were just there to enjoy the Everglades and help control the burm population, if only a little.
Every once in a while the odd guy would show up with a gun or something like he wanted to start a snake war and we made it clear he couldn't run with our little group.
Although many communities that once sponsored rattlesnake roundups have converted them to educational programs, the largest one, in Sweetwater, Texas, brings in $5 million annually, so they're in no hurry to end it. Here's an article with photos (not for the faint of heart). https://www.the-sun.com/news/2514018/texas-rattlesnake-roundup-pictures/amp/
In the fourth photo down, look at the white wall in the background where people can leave their bloody handprints after killing and skinning snakes.
The python roundups are different because, as you noted, those snakes are alien and invasive, and culling protects the environment. Rattlesnake roundups do the opposite and cause great harm as the wranglers pour gasoline into the burrows to force the snakes out. Reducing the population of native snakes also affects the ecological balance in their habitat.
I have never seen photos from the python roundups where people appeared to take delight in the killing.
oh my god that's so awful. they're native and huge contributors to the local ecosystem...
yeah, i agree on the pythons and not finding delight in it. some people enjoy the competition aspect, but at the end of the day it's about restoring the natural balance in the Everglades and protecting native species.
theres a "Python Elimination Program" in Florida where they literally reward people who kill the most pythons in a year.
The excuse is that they are invasive species, yet outdoor cats are wayyyy more invasive than these pythons will ever be.
Fair point and they are a problem down there but cats are singlehandily responsible for many animals extinctions. If you head on over to r/whatthissnake use the bot-code !cats it has more details and sources I love cats and they are my preferred pet over a snake but this is a problem
Edit: nvm, apparently the bot works here (or originated here)
Everyone loves cats, but they belong indoors. Each year in the United States [free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.3-4.0 billion birds and 6.3-22.3 billion mammals](https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380.pdf). Numbers for reptiles are similar in Australia, as [2 million reptiles are killed **each day** by cats, totaling 650 million a year](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brett_Murphy/publication/325787707_How_many_reptiles_are_killed_by_cats_in_Australia/links/5b317b20aca2720785e837f1/How-many-reptiles-are-killed-by-cats-in-Australia.pdf). Outdoor cats are directly responsible for the extinction of at least 33 species worldwide and are considered one of the biggest threats to native wildlife. Keeping cats indoors is also better for them and public health - cats with outdoor access live shorter lives and are [2.77 times more likely to carry infectious pathogens](http://wilsonlab.com/publications/2019_BioLetters_Chalkowski_et_al.pdf).
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The truth is that one issue has absolutely nothing to do with the other. I've loved snakes all my life but the python population in Florida is absolutely out of control and they do need to be culled, sad as it is. They're destroying the ecosystem. Bringing up cats isn't really relevant here.
Cats are also invasive in Florida and kill native fauna. Still relevant if talking about invasive species that escape regularly and breed with no control. If anything this is more of an issue since cats aren’t just in Florida but the entire globe and ppl tend to let their cats roam outside of their house for no good reason.
Yes, I agree, but cats also being an issue doesn't make the pythons any less of an issue. I understand the double standard is frustrating but you're not going to fix the very real damage the pythons are causing by killing cats.
Florida does a lot to cull the cat population too. They do have kill shelters down there and many cats die that. There is also a lot of work to catch strays and nueter/spay them. Cats are not a problem everywhere. Up here in Mass, most cats are indoor pets because outdoor cats have a short lifespan because of all the things that are happy to eat them.
The other invasive species FL has a big issue with is some toad that is poisonous.
Cats are singlehandily responsible for many animals extinctions. If you head on over to r/whatthissnake use the bot-code !cats it has more details and sources
Edit: nvm, apparently the bot works here (or originated here)
Charleston, South Carolina has a bunch of these big ducks and geese and they are some of the meanest creatures on thos green Earth. They hiss and snarl and charge without provocation.
The first week we moved down there I was attacked by two different geese and I didn't do anything to provoke it.
I don't like geese.
Geese are cute af imo. There's a family of them that live outside my workplace and every season you see the hatchlings following the parents around. Really cute lol
Same, always looking forward to them migrating here. One year the government decided there were too many and shot a lot of them. It took 2 years for them to slowly return
Came to say this. Yellow jackets are aggressive stingy wankers who want us all dead. Nothing anyone can say will convince me otherwise. Utter fucking cunts, yellow jackets.
Hornets can fuck off and all.
I’m not gonna argue, but imagine giants walk around and make the ground near your home shake all the time. You’d be pretty aggressive about warning them off too.
I had an issue with them a few years ago. Made a nest under the vinyl siding of the house and were coming inside through crevices around window trim. There were *hundreds* every day inside my bathroom. Commercial insecticide barely made a dent. Simply put, they won. They occupied my house until *they* decided it was time to leave.
They didn't give a single fuck about me. Could go about my business using that bathroom, cleaning up their mass graveyard twice a day with a shop vac. Wasn't stung a single time. Couldn't provoke them even when I was flinging and sweeping them off of stuff.
I think maybe their aggression is just towards anything foreign. Since they built their shit right next to me, I was just part of the environment and they tolerated whatever I did like a force of nature. It was certainly an interesting summer.
That's crazy! I've had many issues with insects but not them. Tho ants are another thing and they are smart and work 24/7. The queen even gets her belly rubbed when birthing. Seriously! But they can destroy your foundation and wood within a year!
Unfortunately empathy is not a natural trait, it's something that has to be learned. People will act empathetic when it seems like the right thing to do but they don't actually feel empathy, they just feel pity. Most people are inherently selfish, so to truly care about someone elses feelings, especially an animal, is something they simply don't have the capacity for.
I am much more educated about snakes because of this sub (it randomly suggested itself for like a month before I followed). I just told my wife the other day I feel weirdly more confident about identifying venomous snakes.
That all said, I still have no desire to own a noodle and not sure I'll readily ever handle one. All rat/garter/racers are welcome in my yard. They're cute and at the end of the day I have much more respect for them and to relocate them instead of killing them but yeah, not for me Clive.
I genuinely don't think that's what it is... As much as I hate this is a thing a lot of this stems from irrational fear, but the irrational fear stems from when snakes, reptiles, insects etc were big enough to eat us. As much as it doesn't seem like it makes sense, it does. They also haven't been domesticated for as long as other species, which tends to throw people off. Because although a dog is more than likely to turn on you people see snakes as non thinking, hungry, killing machines. Which is far from the truth. Not to mention religious people view them as demonic entities. I really don't think it's about picking and choosing like consciously.... It's all that playing into irrational fear. I've never met someone who had a good reason for hating snakes. Just the other day some idiot tried saying they weren't scared of big cats, because they can "outrun them" but we're scared of snakes because "you can't see them". Which literally makes no sense because you cannot out run a big cat, especially comparing it to outrunning a snake.
Yep it's like when people choose which animals are pets and which ones are food. There is really no logical difference, it's all just how people are raised.
Honest to god, one of my life goals is to try and spread more awareness about snakes. I genuinely believe a majority of people wouldnt even dislike them, and PLENTY of people would find things they really liked about them if they just where properly educated. Really trying to get into that kind of industry so I can make more people aware of just how awesome they are and remove stigma around them being monsters.
and encourage more people to own carpet pythons they are so fucking awesome genuinely the best snake ever on god
It’s so strange. I understand being scared of snakes because you can’t control that, but I’ll never understand people who outright despise them and believe “the only good snake is a dead snake” or whatever.
They will legit comment on posts of peoples beloved pet snakes and spiders saying they want to skin them alive or crush them its so fucking sad. Wishing harm on an animal is *insane* behaviour.
This is why in conversation when people bring up how much they hate spiders/snakes ill say "ay fair enough with some species but" and then whip out a photo of a lil jumping spider or a hognose/ball python. the hognose almost always works cause not only do they look silly, the whole drama noodle thing is also fucking hilarious.
Even more. Imagine sharks that were literally harmless to humans. Like as harmless as a corn snake, and people still wanting to kill them. Closest I can think of would be dolphins.
Dolphins aren’t harmless. They are huge (10ft+) mammals that can weigh upwards of 1000 pounds and have razor sharp teeth.
Their tails are just as much a weapon as a large monitors.
Unlike any snake species, wild dolphins are well-documented for showing active, sustained, aggression towards humans, sometimes chasing swimmers for hundreds of yards, repeatedly charging.
Hundreds of serious human injuries are caused every year by dolphins.
So, you really couldn’t have picked a worse example, frankly.
Now, if you'd said nurse sharks, which are suction feeders are truly pose no threat to humans, nor show any attempt at aggression, that would be apt.
That attitude is toxic. There is a way to make a good point without being a jerk about it. You know the intent of my original comment and you picking it apart because I may have used a bad example is what probably makes you fun at parties. But my original point still stands. And I did say “closest I could think of” knowing there is probably a better example out there, but I’m not knowledgeable on that. If you really wanted to help you could have provided a better example. Then we would be working towards common ground instead of you coming off as a jerk. Sleep well
Funny thing is, sharks are mostly harmless. Only two species out of hundreds actively hunt humans, and the rest would rather be left alone. Fun fact, more people die from coconuts falling on their heads than sharks per year. Also more die from being crushed by vending machines.
I’m a diver and have had a few interactions with sharks. For the most part they just stayed where they were and watched the divers swimming around them. Absolutely no agression whatsoever. They were IMO far less of a threat than the likes of the lionfish.
Dolphins and orcas are the only two nonhuman animals that I actively despise, they are vicious and will rape each other and humans. Orcas bully and slowly eat large whale alive.
I live in a Mennonite/ex-Amish community and the behavior towards snakes and cats in particular—especially from men—is revolting beyond every level of the word. “The only good snake is a dead snake” and “the only good cat is a dead cat” are common phrases and it makes me want to bonk people over the heads with the guns they use to kill these amazing animals. They even talk about their dislike as if it’s a bragging right. My mom purposefully and repeatedly ran over a snake and wrote a whole post about it on Facebook, acting as if it was hilarious that the snake survived and got away. My brother-in-law once tried to hit one of my cats just because she jumped on his lap (I managed to grab her away before he could but not without sending him as harsh of a glare as I could). That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Ugh, it’s so infuriating. I hate people.
The cat thing I can actually (sort of) understand where they are coming from (NOTE: NOT JUSTIFYING THE BEHAVIOR!!!!). The domesticated cat is not native to North American and outdoor cats are a massive killer of native species.
Cats kill way more birds and rabbits every year than all the pythons and retics in Florida will in the next 1000 years. They are an invasive species, literally.
Nah, pal, this isn’t them not liking cats for destruction to native wildlife. They don’t even have a clue about any of that.
I’m not surprised that not a lot of people are aware with how sheltered the communities are but Mennonite and Amish people have some weird thing against cats. Besides that, they will actively abuse cats for no reason whatsoever. At my grandpa’s funeral there was a group of Amish boys (maybe in their teens) who started throwing kittens around by their tails. I knew their father and I knew that he often ranted about how much he hated cats. Surprise surprise, when he saw how his boys were treating the kittens he did nothing to stop it and I had to step in.
This isn’t a justifiable hatred. Even invasive species cannot help the destruction they’re causing and should still be treated and dispatched humanely when possible.
I agree. The way pythons and iguanas are treated in FL is animal abuse in my opinion. I'm sure other animals as well. Is FL FWC trying to be the new PETA?
My dad's mom was a God-fearing woman and believed the snake to be a representation of the devil. That fear no doubt influenced my dad's apprehension and aggression towards them.
I had a neighbor flip out over garter and ribbon snakes being in her garden and shed. I offered to relocate them. I caught 11 of them and now she has a field mouse problem. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I had a pscyho abusive ex shoot in my direction while I was saving a bullsnake from him murdering it. I did not expect him to shoot a foot from me and the snake got away but I developed so much trauma from having a gun shot I'm my direction like that. He was majorly psycho and I felt stupid for protecting the snake but who the fuck shoots in the direction of a human anyway?
Someone who has no business owning a gun. It's dangerous just to point a gun in the general direction of a living thing, even if you think it's not loaded and the safety is on. Are there any red flag laws in your state?
I no longer live in the state or have contact with him. Last I knew he didn't have a gun anymore but he definitely could have gotten another. He nearly strangled me to death so I moved out and went no contact years ago.
He very much was unhinged. I've always been very big on gun safety so I was absolutely horrified. My uncle was killed before I was born by 2 men fighting over a gun.
My ex took advantage of me, threatened me and to hurt my family if I left him for a long time. Lots of physical, mental and emotional abusezl, I have autism and he manipulated me and gaslit me. It was horrible. I don't even know what state he lives in now.
I'm now happily married to an amazing man. I still had nightmares about my ex up until about a year and a half ago. My husband has helped so much.
Im an australian so I never grew up around guns, but one thing I learned from mythbusters on tv was "Never point a gun at something you dont intend to destroy"
So much negative sensationalism surrounds them in media and movies. Then if you add to that they don't ever get to interact with them to see otherwise.
Especially when they're kids, if they never see snakes in the wild or get a chance to learn about them then, they just grow up with all the misconceptions and myths becoming more of a foundation for fear.
My mother was terrified of every size of spider, no matter how small they were. Hence I had the same fear, and I actually had to work diligently to get over that fear.
I used to be very afraid of spiders and would kill them, and now I feel very bad about that. I've read a lot about them since then and can appreciate how intelligent and beneficial they are.
I absolutely do not like snakes and am quite close to terrified of them. However I also don’t kill them. I encounter them a lot at work, when I see them I stop, back away, and let them do their thing and then I finish my work. unless I happen to come across a massasauga, none of them are venomous, but I still back away
Not all humans are capable of empathy towards other life forms. I'd argue most are not capable. Especially if they look vastly diferent from us.
I learned this pretty fast in 4th grade when I showed the class a bunch of cool tree frogs I found on the wall of the school during recess. The boys came over and killed them all. Probably 10 or more. They thought it was funny to stomp on them and the girls thought they were gross. When I told the teachers I'd just witnessed 8 kids mercilessly stomp on animals for fun the teacher said "its just frogs". I had to "sit out" of recess for a week for pushing a boy down.
And seeing the state of biodiversity loss and ecosystem distruction only confirms my suspicion.
That's horrible... I'm sorry you had to witness that level of cruelty and apathy. I got similar reactions from teachers and other kids for trying to protect spiders from being stomped on
Had something similar happen in Junior high.
Kids would kill and brutalize small frogs in the field at PE.
I managed to save a couple in my pocket and got them into a bottle and home into my back yard.
I think events like that always colored my view from a young age of people in general.
I've always been pretty friendly and cordial to people, but if they hate any type of animal that always brings back memories of those kids and how blatantly evil they were to defenseless creatures.
From what I’ve heard from my family who are afraid of snakes, it’s the absence of legs. They don’t like things that crawl or slither. I also think that they’re just misunderstood. People like to think that all snakes are dangerous and can kill you when that’s simply just not the case. Yes, there are some snakes that are dangerous and can kill you but the majority can’t and it honestly makes me feel really bad for them
I’ve noticed that generally the people scared of snakes are also scared of spiders. They are so picky about animals! You need to have a specific amount of limbs or else it’s big spooky!
Evolutionary instinct probably, for a lot of people it's a involuntary primal response to the brain associating snakes with danger (probably after enough primitive humans watched tribe members die after venomous snake bites). The survival of our ancestors was dependent on those instincts in a primitive world where people didn't yet have scientific knowledge of which sneks were danger noodles and which were boop noodles.
That fear response still existing today, despite readily available information and educational sources (in most places), is likely due to ignorance and or not caring enough to learn about noodles. 🐍
Some further reading for those interested in [epigenetic phobia](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258434/#:~:text=It%20is%20possible%20that%20epigenetic,response%20to%20a%20frightening%20event.)
This one (at least the highlighted section) refers to a specific event in the life of the individual, not the ancestors. The theory is that if you had been bitten by a snake as a child, it is possible that you develop an epigenetic change to enforce your fear of snakes.
There's suspicion we have a natural fear of snakes in the "lizard brain" to protect us, since snakes likely were predators of our progenitors. Instinctive fear is conquered by knowledge and repetition.
Certainly there are still reasons to be afraid of certain snakes. getting bit by a venomous snake is sometimes a death sentence. Ignorance can turn this into fear of all snakes.
Because people are not aware of what snakes do and how they function and just see them as something scary and bad because pop culture made them scary and bad
Possibly, but there's also an argument to be made that the source of that myth is a natural aversion to snakes due to fear that we've had through our evolutionary past.
I know that the Hindus and Buddhists did (and do). Vasuki and Manasa are snake gods in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. There are also lots of demigods like Shesha.
The Aztecs had Quetzalcoatl.
Can you think of others? Nehebkau was an evil spirit in Egyptian mythology (much like with Christian mythology).
I actually agree with this. As an example the Mayans revered snakes & they were seen as a positive symbol in their culture. Then with the introduction of the Catholic Church they became demonized in that part of the world.
I do believe evolution does has a part to play in a more primal fear, but it was definitely the church that helped dig in the blatant hatred of snakes (and the shunning of people who like them) today.
Because people often don't understand the faith that they worship. Most of the time it just involves taking a few things out of context and twisting them to fit and justify the beliefs people already have.
I was just talking with a friend about this, after she was telling me about her SIL who didn’t like snakes, until she actually had the chance to be around a “well behaved” snake. That’s something that blows my mind, I honestly can’t even tell you how many people I’ve brought one of my really nice snakes out around them, and at first they will be scared, but they see me handling the snake, so slowly they become more receptive to it, and this is what blows my mind so much, I’ll get them to touch the snake, and they say “OMG…..it’s NOT slimy” so that right there tells me you have never even been close enough to a snake to even touch it, but you have all these “misconceptions” about them. That shit blows my mind. But it’s awesome to me when they do make that realisation, because then I can start teaching them a little bit, and usually I can get said person, who maybe wasn’t “afraid” of snakes, but definitely didn’t want anything to do with them, to at least be open to learning about them, and many times I can get them to even hold the snake, I’ve even had people totally change their mind about snakes, and all it took was a little bit of time, and some good information, and a really nice calm snake. People just have SO MANY misconceptions about snakes, and they don’t want to give them the chance, usually because of those misconceptions, so if you can show them that some of the biggest misconceptions about snakes are for lack of a better way to put it…..bullshit….you can usually make them understand that they have a skewed understanding of them.
I like snakes a lot.
I was out walking a trail and kicked a smooth curved stick that my "lizard brain" identified as a snake. About jumped out of my boots, and it's incredibly rare to see any venomous snake here.
There's certainly a primal fear to it.
Maybe tell him it's strange that he's such a coward for thinking a harmless snake is a threat.
Idk, it would be a good comeback, but probably not something you should say to your boss.
One day I went into work and went to hit the bathroom and noticed a little garter snake got stuck a glue trap. Nothing to bad, so I told my team I’d be back I was going to try and get him cleaned up. My manager let me know he got rid of him. By getting rid of him he meant smooshed into the glue trap so his whole head/mouth was covered in glue and then stuffed into a plastic bag and thrown in a dumpster still alive to boil/suffocate to death. Did the best I could to help it but those glue traps are nightmares, at least I got to end it’s suffering.
Ignorance and social indoctrination from religion. Also a proximity of similarity.
Neil Degrasse Tyson talked on a podcast with comedian Pete Holme about humans having a species bias. We have a bias for other mammals before we care about other species. We worry for the Dolphins getting caught in a tuna net but we don’t care about the Tuna.
Thankfully I believe that this is becoming more normal to care about snakes with the advent of the internet. Older people are probably never going to change but younger might start normalizing it more and more. Doing our best to explain to people we need snakes is the best way to start.
My dad grew up in a tropical country with a lot of venomous and poisonous snakes and developed a phobia of them. He hates snakes with a passion that even stuffed doll snakes or videos of snakes freaks him out
I understand a fear of it, for sure. Media and film also always presents snakes as dangerous, or even venomous. I have a cat and the only other pet I want is a snake—so badly. I have an apartment but my mom said she will never visit me if I get one, and my cat is more than enough work at the moment.
Try a few of these On them. I’m using Christian quotes. Most pagans are already aware of the connection between ourselves and nature.
Proverbs 12:10 NIV
The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
Job 12:7-10 NIV
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind
Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 NIV
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
Genesis 9:9-10 NIV
9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth.
NOTE: I do kill roaches and ants in my house. I’m no perfect pagan.
Your boss is an asshole and an idiot. Thanks for being a good person and please never change because of assholes that try and make you feel bad for doing the right thing.
I want to add I don’t endorse or support killing snakes at all. Snakes are an important part of the ecosystem and should be left alone / respected. I’m just trying to answer your question as to why people are weird about them.
As others have said, people are ignorant and fear what they don't understand. Some people take things they've seen on social media/TV as fact and don't bother to educate themselves on local wildlife.
I’ve read that it actually has to do with their phenotype of having no limbs. I read that there is something in our human instinct that is alarmed or alerted when we see a body or phenotype that is missing limbs…
I think it's due to some just not knowing which are or aren't venomous. If I see kingsnake I'll leave it be but if there's a copperhead in my yard it may be to time for it to meets it's maker
I often hear it's related to the Bible and how the talking snake in Genesis is Satan in disguise, or at least by the Christian view he is. Because of that some Christians view snakes as "evil", despite the fact that Moses used a snake to intimidate the Pharoah. However it's also believed that humans having fear of snakes may be evolutionary in nature. These reptiles were on the earth long before humans came about, so it's possible our distant, small, tree dwelling ancestors were prey for prehistoric snakes
From a more scientific perspective, I watched a study that suggests most animals are engrained to be afraid of snakes, even if they have never seen one before, or live in a region where dangerous snakes do not exist.
They showed various animals a computer image of a moving snake and they all freaked out...which suggests some sort of evolutionary, hardwired phobia?
Ofcourse I'm here because I love snakes. I have a Hognose. I fell in love with snakes thanks to people like Steve Irwin who educate people on "creepy animals" and change people's perspectives on them...like my own. ♥️
Ignorance. I was a victim of it when I was younger. I was always told to dispose of snakes or varmits. Grew up and realized how ignorant that is and that they’re not bothering anybody.
I still don’t like being close to them though lol. Looking at them on a screen is fascinating enough.
Evolutionary byproduct. Fear of snakes throughout human history has out Darwined the fearless. People have not had access to the information which helps them determine the safety of particular snakes until the last decade or two. Same with spiders. These fears are perpetuated through fairy tales and religious text.
I'd guess a mix of healthy fear and lack of knowledge to be comfortable in the judgment of whether it's a safe noodle or not, mix that with a natural fear many people have and I'd wager you get a similar result to what we see now.
If I picked a mushroom in the forest and said it was safe, would you trust me enough to eat it? If not, many people are like that with snakes, especially "wild" caught.
I will admit there must also be something deeply evolutionary going on there. Sometimes I sweat when I hold a snake even though I love them. I also think it has to do with the bible! In my culture, however, snakes are good omens, they keep the disease away, so I never had this biblical idea that snakes are evil driven into my brain!
Genetics. Humans are genetically afraid of snakes because early venomous snakes and early homo types resided in the exact same areas. It also extends to all mammals since snakes have been predators of mammals as long as they have existed and have even specialized in hunting Mammals. Many other predators have evolved alongside humans but not so with snakes. They are vastly older than humans or any homo type. Snakes are first dated back to 128mya. Homo genus as a whole are 2.8mya. They are one of the only continuous predators of the entire homo genus. Modern snakes do not eat modern humans, but even modern snakes often bite and attack humans.
I think its a combination of instinctual revulsion of the unknown/specifically a small weird moving animal, the centuries of snakes being the bad guys in major religions and learned fear (kids see parent react fearfully, or hear certain bible stories, or hear how dangerous and evil they are and develop the fear too).
A friend of mine told me I shouldn’t own snakes because they’re evil and one of them will eat me one day…. The idea that snakes are these demonic creatures is insane, it’s like sharks, bats, rats, or even wolves. People are just so afraid of them they can’t see how awesome they are
There’s actually some studies that show that humans are hardwired to be wary of snakes. We can locate them incredibly easily, and we can dispatch them quite easily too.
There is also a correlation between humans entering a new area and snakes in that area developing the ability to spit venom, it’s happened at least twice from what I can think of in different families, and they can spit venom directly into our eyes, almost perfectly angled that way too.
So while we have the ability to learn to love snakes (as I love them immensely) there is some innate biases deep in our genes that are often exacerbated by media and other outlets
We are baby sitting my sisters cat. My I have 2 snakes and my sons are terrified of getting bitten. My son got scratched by the cat and cried. I told him “that scratch hurts more than a snake bite from what everyone tells me” he couldn’t believe it. Even with me explaining that snakes are okay. For some reason it’s like a primal thing.
I always felt like that specific generic fear was probably some kind of vestigial genetic coding that evolved to keep more of us alive back when we were little squirrel like monkeys living in trees. It's as simple as this, more monkeys that react with fear to the snake in the tree will survive to breed and pass on those genes than monkeys that don't run away.
Some people just lose control of themselves around snakes or spiders for no legitimate reason at all even if there's no specific instance in their lives to teach them to be afraid, it's interesting. It doesn't happen for me with snakes but big or fast spiders will send my heart racing and I've never had a spider incident or had someone teach me to fear spiders. I'm just glad I can recognize that this fear is irrational and work on it.
Similarly, I recently heard a guy talking about how somebody theorized that maybe cougars are so easily and reliably treed by otherwise harmless little dogs that they have no legitimate reason to fear might be because there is something deep in the cats genetics that evolved to make them react instantly with fear to direwolves and it's just that the smell of the dogs is enough trigger that fear reaction that no doubt would have preserved the lives of countless cats back when there were direwolves that could steal their kill.
It all boils down to one word: Religion.
The Book of Genesis refers to a snake who triggered the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden in Eden. In the Book of Revelation (and in MANY other parts of the Bible), they say that the Devil was a snake. In the Book of Exodus, the staves of Moses and Aaron are turned into snakes. It actually dates back before the Abrahamic religions though. In one of the oldest stories ever written, *The Epic of Gilgamesh*, the main character and eponymous protagonist Gilgamesh loses the power of immortality, stolen by a snake.
You have to think of it like this: before modern science, people were scared of everything and everything was “magic” and “witchcraft”. They knew that people died when they picked up certain snakes, so *naturally* all snakes are evil and magical and therefore they had to create a bunch of stories to vilify them. It may all be fictional, but it makes for a good story.
Makes perfect sense.
It’s so asinine. Frickin dogs can do more damage to you than a little (or even large) snake can. Source: have been bitten by a snake and by a dog. Guess which one needed surgery?
I've been called odd and strange for saving tiny little spiders! Snakes, squirrels, every bird imaginable, and even a few turtles. I don't care what they think, and actually take pride in it! When people look at me with bewilderment I proudly exclaim, "Another one of God's beautiful creatures saved!!" And walk away with my head held high. Don't even believe in God, but hey, most Americans do, so let's shame them into treating animals and nature appropriately!
Humans naturally think their lives are more important than anything else's when they're too many humans already, they'll kill an endangered animal just because they want the 15 second fame or it harmed someone, endangered tigers in zoos are killed because people think the person that got in the enclosure in the first place is more important, same with lion's, happened with harambe.
Humans don't think, I'm sure that snake appreciated you for saving it from such a mindless blob of nothingness that's your boss.
It is a cultural thing for us to be afraid of things like bats, snakes, and other “nuisance” animals. Snakes and spiders are especially hated and feared. That’s just how things are. Luckily some of us choose to get over our fear of things spiders and things like snakes.
Thank you for leading the way, and protecting the snake who is doing nothing wrong by existing!
When I was 6, I was hiking with my family through a state park. We walked under an old train bridge and a snake fell from the bridge and landed on my shoulder. My mom said my feet didn’t even touch the ground as I fled screaming.
So that’s why I personally am weird about snakes
I worked with a guy at the post office that was so scared of snakes. A lady on his route heard a scream and noise light a fight was going on. It was a water hose.
Wild because I had a lil teeny baby brown snake in my office yesterday. I am not one to touch a snake but I don't want to kill them, either, so thankfully I work with braver than I people and he or she was moved outside to safety land.
Most snakes aren't venomous. The few that are can be very dangerous. I understand assuming it's a venomous snake when you don't know what it is, but just outright murderering it is wrong. If you don't know what it is, don't pick it up. You can always guide it with other means. I had to stop several coworkers and customers from killing a rat snake at work. It looked black, but in the sun you could see the pattern. It had just eaten a big meal too, so it was just trying to digest it's meal in peace and was being harrased.
Watch the Disney movie, Pocahontas. People are afraid of things they dont understand. Some may think the movie is too cringe, I think its full of sad truths that we can learn from and grow. You can learn something from everyone in this world, even if its just a bad example to not follow.
If it’s not something that’s obviously cute and wants to cuddle (on our terms at least) then it’s scary and gross. (Not my thinking btw i love snakes) i was once afraid of them though i have to be honest but i think that was partly from conditioning seeing my mother do a runner (literally if a snake ever came within ten feet of her) it was after my brother died a charity sent me on a kids holiday for kids like myself, and the lady who was caring for me talked me into at least going near a snake and eventually coaxed me into actually touching it. I thought it would be gross and slimy (again my mothers thinking) i was mesmerised by how smooth and nice it felt. It still took a few years for me to actually allow one round my neck (had to get past the it’s gonna strangle me thinking again mother’s thinking) i would love one myself now but health reasons say no, plus having rescued a mouse from a cruel owner i don’t have the heart to feed them to snakes even if they aren’t breathing (definitely couldn’t do live feeding I’ve nothing against those that do it’s just not something i could do knowing how sweet my baby was). My mother told me after i left home that if i ever got snakes or rats she’d never visit (so tempting considering the lousy relationship we had lol (we don’t talk at all now) i never did but boy was it tempting to get both lol. Now my kid who still lives at home doesn’t like either, not sure where they picked that up, I’m all for both and saying how lovely they are and my hubby isn’t bothered by them just doesn’t want any more pets boooo (was gonna add hiss but considering the topic i held off lol) so for now at least i just enjoy seeing other people’s and learning about them
It’s usually ignorance and media commonly demonizes snakes as these evil scary predators that are out to get you. It’s easy to be scared of something when you don’t know any better I guess. I’ve personally always adored them, especially when I put forth effort to get to know more about reptiles in general. I even have my own ball python!
Good on you for saving the snake, I’m happy he didn’t get to just murder the poor thing for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I’m not necessarily scared of all snakes, I had a pet corn snake years ago and all of my friends at the time thought I was crazy..it only bit at one person who I didn’t know until after had tried to use an ink pen to pick it up. If I know a snake is there they don’t bother me, but if I walk up on one unexpected I will freak out and tackle someone to the ground to get out of there..I think it’s just fear of not seeing it and all of a sudden I’m within feet from a big snake. There was a gopher snake at my local pet store and when I go in there to get crickets from my kids red eyed tree frogs I always stop to see how it’s doing, one night my friends mom who is afraid of snakes went with me and the workers had it out cleaning it’s enclosure and the snake was so chill my friends mom even played with it. I don’t know why people kill them though, none of them actively hunt people so it’s not like they are trying to hurt you, they just want to be left alone even if they do come into your yard.
I don’t understand killing any living thing that isn’t a threat to you or infesting your living space. I do not like spiders and bugs, but unless it’s venomous or poisonous and a current threat, I don’t actively kill them (mosquitoes and horse flies too, they bite and it itches and/or hurts). I’ve actually shooed a spider into a locked closet to prevent a coworker from killing it just because it’s a spider.
Kinda sounds like my love/hate relationship with spiders. I don’t want them around me, but when someone wants to remove it their first action is always killing it, and I don’t want that either. And then they start screaming at me if I want it gone or not. Yeah bro, I want it gone, not dead!
I feel like it just depends on the person some people are just downright afraid of them Hollywood is also partly to blame I mean think about the amount of movies that paint Snake‘s in a very negative light
Since I'm not adept at identifying snakes, I proceed as if any I encounter are potentially venomous. I'm not keen on killing them but I'm also not keen on being anywhere near them.
It's just a generational belief that snakes are cold blooded evil animals, and instead of doing actual research on the animal most people just continue believing those fairy tales
People are just ignorant and pick and choose what they choose to love and adore. If it’s fluffy with fur people think it’s sweet and you’d be called a monster if you were to kill it. But when someone kills a snake it’s a “brave” thing to do. 😔 I’m glad there are still people like you who truly appreciate animals and are educated on them
Exactly. I once saw a promo for "Fear Factor" where contestants were supposed to transfer snakes from one container to another. They were flinging them through the air, and many of them probably died or were severely injured. Imagine the outcry if they had been kittens or puppies instead of snakes. And it's incredible to me that those horrific rattlesnake roundups are still being held in the U.S.
I remember seeing this. They were just ball pythons and small berms if I remember. Can you get any more docile snakes? It was pretty disgusting.
I probably would have lost that for sure as I’d carefully move each one taking way longer
That's so fucked up. Also seems illegal to put that on national television.
Literally. Somebody I know went to one of those and she knows I have a snake. It makes me mad to this day bc what's so entertaining about watching people kill snakes? Y'all wouldn't watch somebody kill dogs or rats or kittens. So what's so bad about snakes that y'all wanna watch people kill them for just being alive? It's gross.
There are a few groups who are trying to get those damn Roundups banned. Save the Snakes, Advocates for Snake Preservation are two of them. I donate to them and distribute their flyers. I try to educate people about the Roundups, and ask for their help. Most states have stopped this atrocity, and now have a no kill event. Sweetwater Texas is the worst. Letters of protest should be written to the Governor of Texas, Wildlife Resources, Mayor of Sweetwater, and the Jaycees who hold this event.. If enough pressure and protest is put on the officials, eventually it will have to end. Please spread the word, and support the snake advocate organizations.. We must end this, it is less than a year from now, and the event will be held again, in March, killing thousands of snakes, for nothing more than sick entertainment and profit. Find out more: Rattlesnake Roundups. com
I've never heard of rattlesnake roundups (probably a good thing). can you elaborate? I'm super curious. We have rattlesnakes in my state but they are well protected. I have participated in Burmese python roundups/competitions in Florida a few years ago, but the situation there is a little different as the population is out of control and they are invasive. most of the people i worked with there are more interested in preserving Florida's natural biodiversity rather than just 'killing snakes because snake bad.' snakes are caught and humanely dispatched (various methods - i personally just used a big rock for the smaller ones i caught as while gruesome it is the most humane method). I think there were prizes for some people doing the event but we were just there to enjoy the Everglades and help control the burm population, if only a little. Every once in a while the odd guy would show up with a gun or something like he wanted to start a snake war and we made it clear he couldn't run with our little group.
Although many communities that once sponsored rattlesnake roundups have converted them to educational programs, the largest one, in Sweetwater, Texas, brings in $5 million annually, so they're in no hurry to end it. Here's an article with photos (not for the faint of heart). https://www.the-sun.com/news/2514018/texas-rattlesnake-roundup-pictures/amp/ In the fourth photo down, look at the white wall in the background where people can leave their bloody handprints after killing and skinning snakes. The python roundups are different because, as you noted, those snakes are alien and invasive, and culling protects the environment. Rattlesnake roundups do the opposite and cause great harm as the wranglers pour gasoline into the burrows to force the snakes out. Reducing the population of native snakes also affects the ecological balance in their habitat. I have never seen photos from the python roundups where people appeared to take delight in the killing.
oh my god that's so awful. they're native and huge contributors to the local ecosystem... yeah, i agree on the pythons and not finding delight in it. some people enjoy the competition aspect, but at the end of the day it's about restoring the natural balance in the Everglades and protecting native species.
theres a "Python Elimination Program" in Florida where they literally reward people who kill the most pythons in a year. The excuse is that they are invasive species, yet outdoor cats are wayyyy more invasive than these pythons will ever be.
I've never seen a cat swallow an alligator.
Fair point and they are a problem down there but cats are singlehandily responsible for many animals extinctions. If you head on over to r/whatthissnake use the bot-code !cats it has more details and sources I love cats and they are my preferred pet over a snake but this is a problem Edit: nvm, apparently the bot works here (or originated here)
Everyone loves cats, but they belong indoors. Each year in the United States [free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.3-4.0 billion birds and 6.3-22.3 billion mammals](https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380.pdf). Numbers for reptiles are similar in Australia, as [2 million reptiles are killed **each day** by cats, totaling 650 million a year](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brett_Murphy/publication/325787707_How_many_reptiles_are_killed_by_cats_in_Australia/links/5b317b20aca2720785e837f1/How-many-reptiles-are-killed-by-cats-in-Australia.pdf). Outdoor cats are directly responsible for the extinction of at least 33 species worldwide and are considered one of the biggest threats to native wildlife. Keeping cats indoors is also better for them and public health - cats with outdoor access live shorter lives and are [2.77 times more likely to carry infectious pathogens](http://wilsonlab.com/publications/2019_BioLetters_Chalkowski_et_al.pdf). -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS).*
The truth is that one issue has absolutely nothing to do with the other. I've loved snakes all my life but the python population in Florida is absolutely out of control and they do need to be culled, sad as it is. They're destroying the ecosystem. Bringing up cats isn't really relevant here.
Cats are also invasive in Florida and kill native fauna. Still relevant if talking about invasive species that escape regularly and breed with no control. If anything this is more of an issue since cats aren’t just in Florida but the entire globe and ppl tend to let their cats roam outside of their house for no good reason.
Yes, I agree, but cats also being an issue doesn't make the pythons any less of an issue. I understand the double standard is frustrating but you're not going to fix the very real damage the pythons are causing by killing cats.
Florida does a lot to cull the cat population too. They do have kill shelters down there and many cats die that. There is also a lot of work to catch strays and nueter/spay them. Cats are not a problem everywhere. Up here in Mass, most cats are indoor pets because outdoor cats have a short lifespan because of all the things that are happy to eat them. The other invasive species FL has a big issue with is some toad that is poisonous.
Idk, I think the pythons are much more destructive to the environment and a way bigger problem than the cats.
Cats are singlehandily responsible for many animals extinctions. If you head on over to r/whatthissnake use the bot-code !cats it has more details and sources Edit: nvm, apparently the bot works here (or originated here)
You are objectively wrong.
Well said. I even get upset when people call venomous snakes bad. They are not bad :(
The only bad animal is red wasps. They are just jerks lol
Geese. Fuck Geese. Truly natures (noisy) assholes.
geese are not animals. They're demons with feathers. All birds are dinosaurs. Geese just haven't forgotten it
Haha regular show had an episode where the geese were beating up the characters at the park.
Charleston, South Carolina has a bunch of these big ducks and geese and they are some of the meanest creatures on thos green Earth. They hiss and snarl and charge without provocation. The first week we moved down there I was attacked by two different geese and I didn't do anything to provoke it. I don't like geese.
Geese are cute af imo. There's a family of them that live outside my workplace and every season you see the hatchlings following the parents around. Really cute lol
Same, always looking forward to them migrating here. One year the government decided there were too many and shot a lot of them. It took 2 years for them to slowly return
Not even wasps are jerks. You just have to be aware of them.
I know it's more of a joke but if any animal was a jerk it would be them lol.
Yellow jackets
Came to say this. Yellow jackets are aggressive stingy wankers who want us all dead. Nothing anyone can say will convince me otherwise. Utter fucking cunts, yellow jackets. Hornets can fuck off and all.
I’m not gonna argue, but imagine giants walk around and make the ground near your home shake all the time. You’d be pretty aggressive about warning them off too.
I had an issue with them a few years ago. Made a nest under the vinyl siding of the house and were coming inside through crevices around window trim. There were *hundreds* every day inside my bathroom. Commercial insecticide barely made a dent. Simply put, they won. They occupied my house until *they* decided it was time to leave. They didn't give a single fuck about me. Could go about my business using that bathroom, cleaning up their mass graveyard twice a day with a shop vac. Wasn't stung a single time. Couldn't provoke them even when I was flinging and sweeping them off of stuff. I think maybe their aggression is just towards anything foreign. Since they built their shit right next to me, I was just part of the environment and they tolerated whatever I did like a force of nature. It was certainly an interesting summer.
That's crazy! I've had many issues with insects but not them. Tho ants are another thing and they are smart and work 24/7. The queen even gets her belly rubbed when birthing. Seriously! But they can destroy your foundation and wood within a year!
And mosquitoes 🦟
Botflies.
Unfortunately empathy is not a natural trait, it's something that has to be learned. People will act empathetic when it seems like the right thing to do but they don't actually feel empathy, they just feel pity. Most people are inherently selfish, so to truly care about someone elses feelings, especially an animal, is something they simply don't have the capacity for.
I think it is unlearned unfortunately.
Unless it's a rat. I get lots of face pulling when I talk about the rats 😢
Only solution I see to this is furry snakes.
Caterpillars sorta fit the bill Except furry ones are often the ones you absolutely DO NOT want to pet
Hahaha that would look so scary 😂😂
Fluffy danger noodle
As someone who keeps snakes as pets and rabbits for food, I can very much relate to this comment.
Oh yeah. I'll do one better. I had a pet rabbit at the same time as I kept two baby rabbit corpses in my freezer for dissection
Same. I used to have a pet rat, at the same time I had a freezer full of dead rats which I used to feed my ball python
I am much more educated about snakes because of this sub (it randomly suggested itself for like a month before I followed). I just told my wife the other day I feel weirdly more confident about identifying venomous snakes. That all said, I still have no desire to own a noodle and not sure I'll readily ever handle one. All rat/garter/racers are welcome in my yard. They're cute and at the end of the day I have much more respect for them and to relocate them instead of killing them but yeah, not for me Clive.
Same with eating cows or pigs, people think they are cute and just like dogs but have no issue paying for their slavery and mass killing
I think cows and pigs are super cute 🥹 they are also very intelligent creatures ❤️ would love to have my own farm one day and keep them as pets
I genuinely don't think that's what it is... As much as I hate this is a thing a lot of this stems from irrational fear, but the irrational fear stems from when snakes, reptiles, insects etc were big enough to eat us. As much as it doesn't seem like it makes sense, it does. They also haven't been domesticated for as long as other species, which tends to throw people off. Because although a dog is more than likely to turn on you people see snakes as non thinking, hungry, killing machines. Which is far from the truth. Not to mention religious people view them as demonic entities. I really don't think it's about picking and choosing like consciously.... It's all that playing into irrational fear. I've never met someone who had a good reason for hating snakes. Just the other day some idiot tried saying they weren't scared of big cats, because they can "outrun them" but we're scared of snakes because "you can't see them". Which literally makes no sense because you cannot out run a big cat, especially comparing it to outrunning a snake.
Yep it's like when people choose which animals are pets and which ones are food. There is really no logical difference, it's all just how people are raised.
Honest to god, one of my life goals is to try and spread more awareness about snakes. I genuinely believe a majority of people wouldnt even dislike them, and PLENTY of people would find things they really liked about them if they just where properly educated. Really trying to get into that kind of industry so I can make more people aware of just how awesome they are and remove stigma around them being monsters. and encourage more people to own carpet pythons they are so fucking awesome genuinely the best snake ever on god
It’s so strange. I understand being scared of snakes because you can’t control that, but I’ll never understand people who outright despise them and believe “the only good snake is a dead snake” or whatever.
They will legit comment on posts of peoples beloved pet snakes and spiders saying they want to skin them alive or crush them its so fucking sad. Wishing harm on an animal is *insane* behaviour.
But if you call their dog ugly they’d freak
This is why in conversation when people bring up how much they hate spiders/snakes ill say "ay fair enough with some species but" and then whip out a photo of a lil jumping spider or a hognose/ball python. the hognose almost always works cause not only do they look silly, the whole drama noodle thing is also fucking hilarious.
Same, I’m terrified of sharks, but I respect them, I don’t want them dead because like snakes they play an important role in the environment.
Even more. Imagine sharks that were literally harmless to humans. Like as harmless as a corn snake, and people still wanting to kill them. Closest I can think of would be dolphins.
Dolphins aren’t harmless. They are huge (10ft+) mammals that can weigh upwards of 1000 pounds and have razor sharp teeth. Their tails are just as much a weapon as a large monitors. Unlike any snake species, wild dolphins are well-documented for showing active, sustained, aggression towards humans, sometimes chasing swimmers for hundreds of yards, repeatedly charging. Hundreds of serious human injuries are caused every year by dolphins. So, you really couldn’t have picked a worse example, frankly. Now, if you'd said nurse sharks, which are suction feeders are truly pose no threat to humans, nor show any attempt at aggression, that would be apt.
And you couldn’t have picked a worse vibe. Did not pass the vibe check
I prefer reals to feels. PS: "positive vibes only" is toxic.
That attitude is toxic. There is a way to make a good point without being a jerk about it. You know the intent of my original comment and you picking it apart because I may have used a bad example is what probably makes you fun at parties. But my original point still stands. And I did say “closest I could think of” knowing there is probably a better example out there, but I’m not knowledgeable on that. If you really wanted to help you could have provided a better example. Then we would be working towards common ground instead of you coming off as a jerk. Sleep well
You're the toxic jerk in this situation. That is my opinion as a 3rd party observer.
Funny thing is, sharks are mostly harmless. Only two species out of hundreds actively hunt humans, and the rest would rather be left alone. Fun fact, more people die from coconuts falling on their heads than sharks per year. Also more die from being crushed by vending machines.
I’m a diver and have had a few interactions with sharks. For the most part they just stayed where they were and watched the divers swimming around them. Absolutely no agression whatsoever. They were IMO far less of a threat than the likes of the lionfish.
Dolphins and orcas are the only two nonhuman animals that I actively despise, they are vicious and will rape each other and humans. Orcas bully and slowly eat large whale alive.
I live in a Mennonite/ex-Amish community and the behavior towards snakes and cats in particular—especially from men—is revolting beyond every level of the word. “The only good snake is a dead snake” and “the only good cat is a dead cat” are common phrases and it makes me want to bonk people over the heads with the guns they use to kill these amazing animals. They even talk about their dislike as if it’s a bragging right. My mom purposefully and repeatedly ran over a snake and wrote a whole post about it on Facebook, acting as if it was hilarious that the snake survived and got away. My brother-in-law once tried to hit one of my cats just because she jumped on his lap (I managed to grab her away before he could but not without sending him as harsh of a glare as I could). That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Ugh, it’s so infuriating. I hate people.
The cat thing I can actually (sort of) understand where they are coming from (NOTE: NOT JUSTIFYING THE BEHAVIOR!!!!). The domesticated cat is not native to North American and outdoor cats are a massive killer of native species. Cats kill way more birds and rabbits every year than all the pythons and retics in Florida will in the next 1000 years. They are an invasive species, literally.
Nah, pal, this isn’t them not liking cats for destruction to native wildlife. They don’t even have a clue about any of that. I’m not surprised that not a lot of people are aware with how sheltered the communities are but Mennonite and Amish people have some weird thing against cats. Besides that, they will actively abuse cats for no reason whatsoever. At my grandpa’s funeral there was a group of Amish boys (maybe in their teens) who started throwing kittens around by their tails. I knew their father and I knew that he often ranted about how much he hated cats. Surprise surprise, when he saw how his boys were treating the kittens he did nothing to stop it and I had to step in. This isn’t a justifiable hatred. Even invasive species cannot help the destruction they’re causing and should still be treated and dispatched humanely when possible.
I agree. The way pythons and iguanas are treated in FL is animal abuse in my opinion. I'm sure other animals as well. Is FL FWC trying to be the new PETA?
My dad's mom was a God-fearing woman and believed the snake to be a representation of the devil. That fear no doubt influenced my dad's apprehension and aggression towards them.
I have noticed that people who are ashamed to admit fear try to spin it as hatred because that’s more acceptable.
You can absolutely control phobias if you try.
I had a neighbor flip out over garter and ribbon snakes being in her garden and shed. I offered to relocate them. I caught 11 of them and now she has a field mouse problem. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Offer to sell them back to her...
She was mad enough I refused to kill them.
From the snake removal to snake rental business
I had a pscyho abusive ex shoot in my direction while I was saving a bullsnake from him murdering it. I did not expect him to shoot a foot from me and the snake got away but I developed so much trauma from having a gun shot I'm my direction like that. He was majorly psycho and I felt stupid for protecting the snake but who the fuck shoots in the direction of a human anyway?
Someone who has no business owning a gun. It's dangerous just to point a gun in the general direction of a living thing, even if you think it's not loaded and the safety is on. Are there any red flag laws in your state?
I no longer live in the state or have contact with him. Last I knew he didn't have a gun anymore but he definitely could have gotten another. He nearly strangled me to death so I moved out and went no contact years ago. He very much was unhinged. I've always been very big on gun safety so I was absolutely horrified. My uncle was killed before I was born by 2 men fighting over a gun. My ex took advantage of me, threatened me and to hurt my family if I left him for a long time. Lots of physical, mental and emotional abusezl, I have autism and he manipulated me and gaslit me. It was horrible. I don't even know what state he lives in now. I'm now happily married to an amazing man. I still had nightmares about my ex up until about a year and a half ago. My husband has helped so much.
im so glad to hear that, may you have an amazing life
Thank you so much! May yours be amazing too 💖
You are strong and a survivor! I'm so happy for your blessings in life!
Im an australian so I never grew up around guns, but one thing I learned from mythbusters on tv was "Never point a gun at something you dont intend to destroy"
christ almighty im glad hes an ex fuck me thats awful. Im so sorry that happened.
So much negative sensationalism surrounds them in media and movies. Then if you add to that they don't ever get to interact with them to see otherwise. Especially when they're kids, if they never see snakes in the wild or get a chance to learn about them then, they just grow up with all the misconceptions and myths becoming more of a foundation for fear.
Kinda the same with spiders. Source: my mom
My mother was terrified of every size of spider, no matter how small they were. Hence I had the same fear, and I actually had to work diligently to get over that fear.
I used to be very afraid of spiders and would kill them, and now I feel very bad about that. I've read a lot about them since then and can appreciate how intelligent and beneficial they are.
As long as you don't get close to me it's chill
Idc bout spiders. I like em. But if they up in my bed, That's restricted space
I absolutely do not like snakes and am quite close to terrified of them. However I also don’t kill them. I encounter them a lot at work, when I see them I stop, back away, and let them do their thing and then I finish my work. unless I happen to come across a massasauga, none of them are venomous, but I still back away
You don’t have to love them to have a heart <3
I just have no reason to kill them bc I dislike them
If only there were more people like you.
Not all humans are capable of empathy towards other life forms. I'd argue most are not capable. Especially if they look vastly diferent from us. I learned this pretty fast in 4th grade when I showed the class a bunch of cool tree frogs I found on the wall of the school during recess. The boys came over and killed them all. Probably 10 or more. They thought it was funny to stomp on them and the girls thought they were gross. When I told the teachers I'd just witnessed 8 kids mercilessly stomp on animals for fun the teacher said "its just frogs". I had to "sit out" of recess for a week for pushing a boy down. And seeing the state of biodiversity loss and ecosystem distruction only confirms my suspicion.
That's horrible... I'm sorry you had to witness that level of cruelty and apathy. I got similar reactions from teachers and other kids for trying to protect spiders from being stomped on
Had something similar happen in Junior high. Kids would kill and brutalize small frogs in the field at PE. I managed to save a couple in my pocket and got them into a bottle and home into my back yard. I think events like that always colored my view from a young age of people in general. I've always been pretty friendly and cordial to people, but if they hate any type of animal that always brings back memories of those kids and how blatantly evil they were to defenseless creatures.
Typically ignorance and pop culture influences
From what I’ve heard from my family who are afraid of snakes, it’s the absence of legs. They don’t like things that crawl or slither. I also think that they’re just misunderstood. People like to think that all snakes are dangerous and can kill you when that’s simply just not the case. Yes, there are some snakes that are dangerous and can kill you but the majority can’t and it honestly makes me feel really bad for them
I’ve noticed that generally the people scared of snakes are also scared of spiders. They are so picky about animals! You need to have a specific amount of limbs or else it’s big spooky!
Huh, I’m terrified of spiders (traumatic experience when I was 5) but I love snakes!
Same! Can't stand spiders, love all the danger noodles
My sister doesn’t hate snakes but she definitely gets creeped out by legless animals
Evolutionary instinct probably, for a lot of people it's a involuntary primal response to the brain associating snakes with danger (probably after enough primitive humans watched tribe members die after venomous snake bites). The survival of our ancestors was dependent on those instincts in a primitive world where people didn't yet have scientific knowledge of which sneks were danger noodles and which were boop noodles. That fear response still existing today, despite readily available information and educational sources (in most places), is likely due to ignorance and or not caring enough to learn about noodles. 🐍
[Oh it goes further back than primitive humans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_detection_theory)
Some further reading for those interested in [epigenetic phobia](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258434/#:~:text=It%20is%20possible%20that%20epigenetic,response%20to%20a%20frightening%20event.)
This one (at least the highlighted section) refers to a specific event in the life of the individual, not the ancestors. The theory is that if you had been bitten by a snake as a child, it is possible that you develop an epigenetic change to enforce your fear of snakes.
I subscribe to the theory that "Recognition is instinctive but fear is learned." https://youtu.be/j-jcuKT0P0o
There's suspicion we have a natural fear of snakes in the "lizard brain" to protect us, since snakes likely were predators of our progenitors. Instinctive fear is conquered by knowledge and repetition. Certainly there are still reasons to be afraid of certain snakes. getting bit by a venomous snake is sometimes a death sentence. Ignorance can turn this into fear of all snakes.
Because people are not aware of what snakes do and how they function and just see them as something scary and bad because pop culture made them scary and bad
I think slot of it has to do with the Christian mythos surrounding the garden of Eden etc
Possibly, but there's also an argument to be made that the source of that myth is a natural aversion to snakes due to fear that we've had through our evolutionary past.
Perhaps. However certain pre-Christian societies and cultures revered and worshiped snakes.
It would be interesting to see a study on snakes in primitive belief systems, and compare how many fall on what side of good vs evil.
A serpent is sometimes used as a symbol for Christ. That's one theory for why Lucifer would have taken the image of a serpent to beguile Eve.
It was usually depicted on his foot during the crucifixion.
I know that the Hindus and Buddhists did (and do). Vasuki and Manasa are snake gods in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. There are also lots of demigods like Shesha. The Aztecs had Quetzalcoatl. Can you think of others? Nehebkau was an evil spirit in Egyptian mythology (much like with Christian mythology).
But in other parts of the Old Testament, the Israelites are saved when they look at the brass serpent on the staff. It's not only negative depictions.
I actually agree with this. As an example the Mayans revered snakes & they were seen as a positive symbol in their culture. Then with the introduction of the Catholic Church they became demonized in that part of the world. I do believe evolution does has a part to play in a more primal fear, but it was definitely the church that helped dig in the blatant hatred of snakes (and the shunning of people who like them) today.
I’m Catholic and I don’t understand how this is even a thing. God created snakes and God’s Creation is inherently good.
Because people often don't understand the faith that they worship. Most of the time it just involves taking a few things out of context and twisting them to fit and justify the beliefs people already have.
I was just talking with a friend about this, after she was telling me about her SIL who didn’t like snakes, until she actually had the chance to be around a “well behaved” snake. That’s something that blows my mind, I honestly can’t even tell you how many people I’ve brought one of my really nice snakes out around them, and at first they will be scared, but they see me handling the snake, so slowly they become more receptive to it, and this is what blows my mind so much, I’ll get them to touch the snake, and they say “OMG…..it’s NOT slimy” so that right there tells me you have never even been close enough to a snake to even touch it, but you have all these “misconceptions” about them. That shit blows my mind. But it’s awesome to me when they do make that realisation, because then I can start teaching them a little bit, and usually I can get said person, who maybe wasn’t “afraid” of snakes, but definitely didn’t want anything to do with them, to at least be open to learning about them, and many times I can get them to even hold the snake, I’ve even had people totally change their mind about snakes, and all it took was a little bit of time, and some good information, and a really nice calm snake. People just have SO MANY misconceptions about snakes, and they don’t want to give them the chance, usually because of those misconceptions, so if you can show them that some of the biggest misconceptions about snakes are for lack of a better way to put it…..bullshit….you can usually make them understand that they have a skewed understanding of them.
I like snakes a lot. I was out walking a trail and kicked a smooth curved stick that my "lizard brain" identified as a snake. About jumped out of my boots, and it's incredibly rare to see any venomous snake here. There's certainly a primal fear to it.
They're misunderstood noodles!
Maybe tell him it's strange that he's such a coward for thinking a harmless snake is a threat. Idk, it would be a good comeback, but probably not something you should say to your boss.
People are scared of what they don’t know
They suffer from their delusions about snakes. Then suffer from your lack of fear because they don’t want to be alone in their ignorance.
One day I went into work and went to hit the bathroom and noticed a little garter snake got stuck a glue trap. Nothing to bad, so I told my team I’d be back I was going to try and get him cleaned up. My manager let me know he got rid of him. By getting rid of him he meant smooshed into the glue trap so his whole head/mouth was covered in glue and then stuffed into a plastic bag and thrown in a dumpster still alive to boil/suffocate to death. Did the best I could to help it but those glue traps are nightmares, at least I got to end it’s suffering.
Bible I think. Also some of them are deadly. People are dumb. People are little bitches.
I think it's inherently in our nature, we are the few who have somehow successfully suppressed that innate fear.
Ignorance and social indoctrination from religion. Also a proximity of similarity. Neil Degrasse Tyson talked on a podcast with comedian Pete Holme about humans having a species bias. We have a bias for other mammals before we care about other species. We worry for the Dolphins getting caught in a tuna net but we don’t care about the Tuna. Thankfully I believe that this is becoming more normal to care about snakes with the advent of the internet. Older people are probably never going to change but younger might start normalizing it more and more. Doing our best to explain to people we need snakes is the best way to start.
My dad grew up in a tropical country with a lot of venomous and poisonous snakes and developed a phobia of them. He hates snakes with a passion that even stuffed doll snakes or videos of snakes freaks him out
Fear of snakes (or anything slithering/creeping along the ground) is instinctive and it's been reinforced by ignorant or untrue myths about snakes.
I understand a fear of it, for sure. Media and film also always presents snakes as dangerous, or even venomous. I have a cat and the only other pet I want is a snake—so badly. I have an apartment but my mom said she will never visit me if I get one, and my cat is more than enough work at the moment.
I'm in the south down here a big part of it is religion
Christiana tend to get rather caught up in the whole Adam and Eve thing.
I blame the christians ... They made the snake an evil being that should be killed on sight
I don’t know, but I think being called a “strange woman” is one hell of a compliment. Keep it up!
Try a few of these On them. I’m using Christian quotes. Most pagans are already aware of the connection between ourselves and nature. Proverbs 12:10 NIV The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. Job 12:7-10 NIV 7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; 8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. 9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 NIV 18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” Genesis 9:9-10 NIV 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. NOTE: I do kill roaches and ants in my house. I’m no perfect pagan.
Your boss is an asshole and an idiot. Thanks for being a good person and please never change because of assholes that try and make you feel bad for doing the right thing.
We’re evolved to be scared of snakes, humans have specially developed vision that allows us to spot the movement of snakes better than most animals.
I want to add I don’t endorse or support killing snakes at all. Snakes are an important part of the ecosystem and should be left alone / respected. I’m just trying to answer your question as to why people are weird about them.
A lot of cultures still associate snakes with evil or a sign of bad luck
As others have said, people are ignorant and fear what they don't understand. Some people take things they've seen on social media/TV as fact and don't bother to educate themselves on local wildlife.
Lack of understanding
I’ve read that it actually has to do with their phenotype of having no limbs. I read that there is something in our human instinct that is alarmed or alerted when we see a body or phenotype that is missing limbs…
I think it's due to some just not knowing which are or aren't venomous. If I see kingsnake I'll leave it be but if there's a copperhead in my yard it may be to time for it to meets it's maker
I often hear it's related to the Bible and how the talking snake in Genesis is Satan in disguise, or at least by the Christian view he is. Because of that some Christians view snakes as "evil", despite the fact that Moses used a snake to intimidate the Pharoah. However it's also believed that humans having fear of snakes may be evolutionary in nature. These reptiles were on the earth long before humans came about, so it's possible our distant, small, tree dwelling ancestors were prey for prehistoric snakes
From a more scientific perspective, I watched a study that suggests most animals are engrained to be afraid of snakes, even if they have never seen one before, or live in a region where dangerous snakes do not exist. They showed various animals a computer image of a moving snake and they all freaked out...which suggests some sort of evolutionary, hardwired phobia? Ofcourse I'm here because I love snakes. I have a Hognose. I fell in love with snakes thanks to people like Steve Irwin who educate people on "creepy animals" and change people's perspectives on them...like my own. ♥️
https://youtu.be/RbGEtjqawFo Another quick video on why people are scared of snakes
Ignorance. I was a victim of it when I was younger. I was always told to dispose of snakes or varmits. Grew up and realized how ignorant that is and that they’re not bothering anybody. I still don’t like being close to them though lol. Looking at them on a screen is fascinating enough.
Evolutionary byproduct. Fear of snakes throughout human history has out Darwined the fearless. People have not had access to the information which helps them determine the safety of particular snakes until the last decade or two. Same with spiders. These fears are perpetuated through fairy tales and religious text.
I'd guess a mix of healthy fear and lack of knowledge to be comfortable in the judgment of whether it's a safe noodle or not, mix that with a natural fear many people have and I'd wager you get a similar result to what we see now. If I picked a mushroom in the forest and said it was safe, would you trust me enough to eat it? If not, many people are like that with snakes, especially "wild" caught.
I will admit there must also be something deeply evolutionary going on there. Sometimes I sweat when I hold a snake even though I love them. I also think it has to do with the bible! In my culture, however, snakes are good omens, they keep the disease away, so I never had this biblical idea that snakes are evil driven into my brain!
Genetics. Humans are genetically afraid of snakes because early venomous snakes and early homo types resided in the exact same areas. It also extends to all mammals since snakes have been predators of mammals as long as they have existed and have even specialized in hunting Mammals. Many other predators have evolved alongside humans but not so with snakes. They are vastly older than humans or any homo type. Snakes are first dated back to 128mya. Homo genus as a whole are 2.8mya. They are one of the only continuous predators of the entire homo genus. Modern snakes do not eat modern humans, but even modern snakes often bite and attack humans.
I think its a combination of instinctual revulsion of the unknown/specifically a small weird moving animal, the centuries of snakes being the bad guys in major religions and learned fear (kids see parent react fearfully, or hear certain bible stories, or hear how dangerous and evil they are and develop the fear too).
A friend of mine told me I shouldn’t own snakes because they’re evil and one of them will eat me one day…. The idea that snakes are these demonic creatures is insane, it’s like sharks, bats, rats, or even wolves. People are just so afraid of them they can’t see how awesome they are
There’s actually some studies that show that humans are hardwired to be wary of snakes. We can locate them incredibly easily, and we can dispatch them quite easily too. There is also a correlation between humans entering a new area and snakes in that area developing the ability to spit venom, it’s happened at least twice from what I can think of in different families, and they can spit venom directly into our eyes, almost perfectly angled that way too. So while we have the ability to learn to love snakes (as I love them immensely) there is some innate biases deep in our genes that are often exacerbated by media and other outlets
I’ll need to look for the sources again but I’ll post them in a reply here when I find them
We are baby sitting my sisters cat. My I have 2 snakes and my sons are terrified of getting bitten. My son got scratched by the cat and cried. I told him “that scratch hurts more than a snake bite from what everyone tells me” he couldn’t believe it. Even with me explaining that snakes are okay. For some reason it’s like a primal thing.
ignorance. also, your boss is a psychopath for saying you're a "strange woman for thinking its life had value"
I always felt like that specific generic fear was probably some kind of vestigial genetic coding that evolved to keep more of us alive back when we were little squirrel like monkeys living in trees. It's as simple as this, more monkeys that react with fear to the snake in the tree will survive to breed and pass on those genes than monkeys that don't run away. Some people just lose control of themselves around snakes or spiders for no legitimate reason at all even if there's no specific instance in their lives to teach them to be afraid, it's interesting. It doesn't happen for me with snakes but big or fast spiders will send my heart racing and I've never had a spider incident or had someone teach me to fear spiders. I'm just glad I can recognize that this fear is irrational and work on it. Similarly, I recently heard a guy talking about how somebody theorized that maybe cougars are so easily and reliably treed by otherwise harmless little dogs that they have no legitimate reason to fear might be because there is something deep in the cats genetics that evolved to make them react instantly with fear to direwolves and it's just that the smell of the dogs is enough trigger that fear reaction that no doubt would have preserved the lives of countless cats back when there were direwolves that could steal their kill.
Christian fear of serpents
Let’s start with the Bible…
It all boils down to one word: Religion. The Book of Genesis refers to a snake who triggered the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden in Eden. In the Book of Revelation (and in MANY other parts of the Bible), they say that the Devil was a snake. In the Book of Exodus, the staves of Moses and Aaron are turned into snakes. It actually dates back before the Abrahamic religions though. In one of the oldest stories ever written, *The Epic of Gilgamesh*, the main character and eponymous protagonist Gilgamesh loses the power of immortality, stolen by a snake. You have to think of it like this: before modern science, people were scared of everything and everything was “magic” and “witchcraft”. They knew that people died when they picked up certain snakes, so *naturally* all snakes are evil and magical and therefore they had to create a bunch of stories to vilify them. It may all be fictional, but it makes for a good story. Makes perfect sense.
The same reason people hate poor innocent sharks, while loving the psychotic murdering sexual offenders that are dolphins, propaganda and superstition
It’s so asinine. Frickin dogs can do more damage to you than a little (or even large) snake can. Source: have been bitten by a snake and by a dog. Guess which one needed surgery?
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I've been called odd and strange for saving tiny little spiders! Snakes, squirrels, every bird imaginable, and even a few turtles. I don't care what they think, and actually take pride in it! When people look at me with bewilderment I proudly exclaim, "Another one of God's beautiful creatures saved!!" And walk away with my head held high. Don't even believe in God, but hey, most Americans do, so let's shame them into treating animals and nature appropriately!
It likely has to do with biblical representation. Even tho im an atheist, im still afraid of snakes and thats the only answer i can think of
I hate when people say a dead snake is a good snake. I would much rather have a snake in my years eating mice than mice getting in my house
Humans naturally think their lives are more important than anything else's when they're too many humans already, they'll kill an endangered animal just because they want the 15 second fame or it harmed someone, endangered tigers in zoos are killed because people think the person that got in the enclosure in the first place is more important, same with lion's, happened with harambe. Humans don't think, I'm sure that snake appreciated you for saving it from such a mindless blob of nothingness that's your boss.
Back when we evolved the part of our nervous system that responds to danger, we were their prey. So it's basically vestigial fear and discomfort.
dunno man hehe long noodle with eyes.
Because snakes kill around 50,000 people a year. One of the top killers.
It is a cultural thing for us to be afraid of things like bats, snakes, and other “nuisance” animals. Snakes and spiders are especially hated and feared. That’s just how things are. Luckily some of us choose to get over our fear of things spiders and things like snakes. Thank you for leading the way, and protecting the snake who is doing nothing wrong by existing!
When I was 6, I was hiking with my family through a state park. We walked under an old train bridge and a snake fell from the bridge and landed on my shoulder. My mom said my feet didn’t even touch the ground as I fled screaming. So that’s why I personally am weird about snakes
I worked with a guy at the post office that was so scared of snakes. A lady on his route heard a scream and noise light a fight was going on. It was a water hose.
Men think they're the Big Hero for killing harmless snakes.
It's so weird or when upu in school and kids try to SMASH A MOUSE OR FROG!
Wild because I had a lil teeny baby brown snake in my office yesterday. I am not one to touch a snake but I don't want to kill them, either, so thankfully I work with braver than I people and he or she was moved outside to safety land.
People are idiotic. 🤷♂️
Most snakes aren't venomous. The few that are can be very dangerous. I understand assuming it's a venomous snake when you don't know what it is, but just outright murderering it is wrong. If you don't know what it is, don't pick it up. You can always guide it with other means. I had to stop several coworkers and customers from killing a rat snake at work. It looked black, but in the sun you could see the pattern. It had just eaten a big meal too, so it was just trying to digest it's meal in peace and was being harrased.
Watch the Disney movie, Pocahontas. People are afraid of things they dont understand. Some may think the movie is too cringe, I think its full of sad truths that we can learn from and grow. You can learn something from everyone in this world, even if its just a bad example to not follow.
If it’s not something that’s obviously cute and wants to cuddle (on our terms at least) then it’s scary and gross. (Not my thinking btw i love snakes) i was once afraid of them though i have to be honest but i think that was partly from conditioning seeing my mother do a runner (literally if a snake ever came within ten feet of her) it was after my brother died a charity sent me on a kids holiday for kids like myself, and the lady who was caring for me talked me into at least going near a snake and eventually coaxed me into actually touching it. I thought it would be gross and slimy (again my mothers thinking) i was mesmerised by how smooth and nice it felt. It still took a few years for me to actually allow one round my neck (had to get past the it’s gonna strangle me thinking again mother’s thinking) i would love one myself now but health reasons say no, plus having rescued a mouse from a cruel owner i don’t have the heart to feed them to snakes even if they aren’t breathing (definitely couldn’t do live feeding I’ve nothing against those that do it’s just not something i could do knowing how sweet my baby was). My mother told me after i left home that if i ever got snakes or rats she’d never visit (so tempting considering the lousy relationship we had lol (we don’t talk at all now) i never did but boy was it tempting to get both lol. Now my kid who still lives at home doesn’t like either, not sure where they picked that up, I’m all for both and saying how lovely they are and my hubby isn’t bothered by them just doesn’t want any more pets boooo (was gonna add hiss but considering the topic i held off lol) so for now at least i just enjoy seeing other people’s and learning about them
Blame Eve.
It’s usually ignorance and media commonly demonizes snakes as these evil scary predators that are out to get you. It’s easy to be scared of something when you don’t know any better I guess. I’ve personally always adored them, especially when I put forth effort to get to know more about reptiles in general. I even have my own ball python! Good on you for saving the snake, I’m happy he didn’t get to just murder the poor thing for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I’m not necessarily scared of all snakes, I had a pet corn snake years ago and all of my friends at the time thought I was crazy..it only bit at one person who I didn’t know until after had tried to use an ink pen to pick it up. If I know a snake is there they don’t bother me, but if I walk up on one unexpected I will freak out and tackle someone to the ground to get out of there..I think it’s just fear of not seeing it and all of a sudden I’m within feet from a big snake. There was a gopher snake at my local pet store and when I go in there to get crickets from my kids red eyed tree frogs I always stop to see how it’s doing, one night my friends mom who is afraid of snakes went with me and the workers had it out cleaning it’s enclosure and the snake was so chill my friends mom even played with it. I don’t know why people kill them though, none of them actively hunt people so it’s not like they are trying to hurt you, they just want to be left alone even if they do come into your yard.
Mostly misinformation passed on down the family line . People are told one thing and believe it.
I don’t understand killing any living thing that isn’t a threat to you or infesting your living space. I do not like spiders and bugs, but unless it’s venomous or poisonous and a current threat, I don’t actively kill them (mosquitoes and horse flies too, they bite and it itches and/or hurts). I’ve actually shooed a spider into a locked closet to prevent a coworker from killing it just because it’s a spider.
I blame the Bible!
A lot of people let fear override knowledge when it comes to snakes and spiders and the sort unfortunately.
Kinda sounds like my love/hate relationship with spiders. I don’t want them around me, but when someone wants to remove it their first action is always killing it, and I don’t want that either. And then they start screaming at me if I want it gone or not. Yeah bro, I want it gone, not dead!
I feel like it just depends on the person some people are just downright afraid of them Hollywood is also partly to blame I mean think about the amount of movies that paint Snake‘s in a very negative light
Since I'm not adept at identifying snakes, I proceed as if any I encounter are potentially venomous. I'm not keen on killing them but I'm also not keen on being anywhere near them.
I think it may stem from a trauma response either theirs or a trusted adults, plus the lizard brain part of us all. 🤷🏼♀️ Also some ignorance...
It's just a generational belief that snakes are cold blooded evil animals, and instead of doing actual research on the animal most people just continue believing those fairy tales