“They can be intimidating, but it's easy to lose sight of the fact that you are so much larger,” he says. “They're just little animals, and they've got their own lives going on. They're fascinating creatures with a lot of mysteries left to reveal.” Create a haven for wildlife.
Snakes cause few problems, and the few they do are relatively benign. Some of the larger species may cause problems around poultry houses, occasionally taking chicks or eggs, but—except for the venomous species— snakes are not a threat to humans or their pets.
In conclusion, the researchers attribute this fear of snakes and spiders to evolutionary origin—humans have an inherited stress reaction to these animals, which teaches us to view them as scary or dangerous.
Recap. Ophidiophobia is an irrational fear of snakes. It's one of the most common specific phobias. The fear of a phobia is out of proportion to the actual threat.
Snakes Deserve our Respect and Appreciation.
In some societies snakes are often viewed as good fortune and in others, the snake created the world. Being predators, the benefits of snakes are now being recognized as providing humans with an ecological service.
"Snake's poison is life to the snake; it is in relation to man that it means death." "The snake stood up for evil in the Garden." "There's a snake lurking in the grass." "Every great story seems to begin with a snake."
They can use their eyes to create a visual image of the world around them, just like humans do, or they can use their extraordinarily sensitive infrared sensors to create a similar image based upon heat emitted by objects in their environment.
Genetics: Some people have a family history of anxiety disorders and specific fears. Learned behavior: A person is more likely to develop ophidiophobia if a close friend or relative had an intense fear of snakes. Superstitions and cultural meanings: Many stories and cultural beliefs contribute to ophidiophobia.
Millions of people worldwide suffer from specific phobias. Almost any stimulus may trigger a phobic reaction, but snakes are among the most feared objects. Half of the population feel anxious about snakes and 2-3% meet the diagnostic criteria for snake phobia.
1. Arachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. While the phenomenon has happened to everyone at one point or another, people with arachibutyrophobia are extremely afraid of it.
Frightened snakes typically do not move very much, or they retreat to defensive postures. Curious snakes are not in a state of acute fear, and crawl around slowly and deliberately, flicking their forked tongues frequently.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words. Understanding the phobia can help you overcome it and live a fulfilling life. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is one of the longest words in the dictionary, and ironically, it means the fear of long words.
One of the most effective ways to survive an encounter with a snake is to not engage. If you come across a snake in your path, walk away. If you can't turn and go the other direction, make sure to give the snake a wide berth as you circle around it. Remember that most snakes have no desire to be around people.
Don't panic. Back away to a safe distance and allow the snake to move away. Snakes often want to escape when disturbed. Remember, all native wildlife, including snakes, is protected.
Ammonia: Snakes dislike the odor of ammonia so one option is to spray it around any affected areas. Another option is to soak a rug in ammonia and place it in an unsealed bag near any areas inhabited by snakes to deter them away.
In a new study, published in The Journal of Psychology on June 11, a team at the National Institute of Mental Health and Charles University showed volunteers 25 different animal images to gauge their fear and disgust. Spiders were the clear winner (cats, side note, were at the extreme opposite end of the scale).
Social phobias are the most common type of fear. They are considered an anxiety disorder and include excessive self-consciousness in social situations. Some people can fear being judged so much they avoid specific situations, like eating in front of others. Up to one in 20 people have a social phobia.
Because older toddlers don't show fear in response to the real live animals, the fear itself is probably not innate. Instead, babies probably recognize the snakes and spiders as a potential threat, which suggests that they're prepped to become afraid of them later in life, Rakison says.
Exposure Therapy
For example, you could start by watching snake videos or looking at toy snakes. You might visit a reptile center or hold a snake at the end of your exposure treatment. You can start slowly and build yourself up to your fears. All that's often required for exposure therapy is the willingness to try.
Both venomous and nonvenomous snakes are extremely wary of humans and are not prone to strike. A bite is their last-ditch effort to avoid harm. Simply leaving a snake to do its job in the landscape is the best way to avoid a bad encounter.
Snakes are able to recognise and distinguish between humans and may recognise the scent of their owner as familiar or positive with time. However, snakes are unable to view humans as companions so cannot form a bond with their owner like other pets can.
Snakes do not typically like being pet, but some that become accustomed to being handled don't mind the human interaction. Snakes can definitely feel when you pet them but the sensation is not as desirable as it is for many domesticated animals.
However, they can only hear a portion of the sounds we hear. Snakes can detect vibrations between 50 and 1,000 Hertz, whereas humans can hear between 20 and 20,000 Hertz. One of the smallest venomous snakes in Central America, the eyelash palm pitviper is named for the bristly scales above its eyes.
The study found snakes to be dichromatic, meaning they can see two primary colours, blue and green. In addition to their colour vision, many snakes have developed a sensitivity to UV light, allowing them to see in low light conditions.