Why do people hate snakes so much?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Why do people hate snakes so much? (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 7/20/2008 3:57:36 PM EDT

Whenever someone posts a thread about a snake-- ANY snake, half of the replies are ALWAYS a suggestion on how to kill it... no reason, just kill it. Why? Snakes are about the best pest control you can possibly get. They are 10x better than cats for getting rid of rodents, and when the food is gone, so are the snakes.

I can understand wanting to get rid of a venomous snake if you have pets or children to consider, but something like a rat snake should be welcome in any yard, and if they find their way into the house they should be safely escorted to the yard and released.

So why the hatred for snakes? Am I missing something here?

Posted: 7/20/2008 3:59:40 PM EDT

[#1]

Why the hatred for heights? Or confined spaces? Or open spaces? Some people have unreasonable fears, and snakes are just a common one. How is this a dilemma?

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:00:27 PM EDT

[#2]

I love snakes, hate bees. IDK

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:00:53 PM EDT

[#3]

Hardwired Biological instinct to fear snakes.

We evolved from small mammals - the kind of tasty treat snake predecessors and modern snakes like to eat.

Plus they look evil, are slithery and smelly and cold.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:01:06 PM EDT

[#4]

I love em.

I wouldnt kill one unless it was poisonous and big enough for a skin.Little ones Ill toss out of harms way.

I still want to get a good plate of fried snake to try though.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:01:40 PM EDT

[#5]

'cause sometimes they're in the salmon

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:02:32 PM EDT

[#6]

I always leave snakes alone. Cottonmouths I do not like and it is a 50/50 chance of me killing it. depends were the cottonmouth is at. That is one nasty stinking snake.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:02:39 PM EDT

[#7]

The problems is that snakes look mean and nasty but snakes are not. The snakes eat rodents such as mice and rat.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:03:07 PM EDT

[#8]

Johnny Reno's Rules of Life

Rule 1 - If it doesn't have 2 or 4 legs, it dies. (Waivers are available for some fish)

Rule 2 - If it considers me to be a meal, it dies.

Snakes are in violation of Rule 1 and sometimes Rule 2.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:03:33 PM EDT

[#9]

Bible. And Western Mass Media brainwashing.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:03:34 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
...smelly ...

tell me, what does a snake smell like? The answer is they do not (not counting a defense mechanism from garter snakes and other snakes that use smell as a defense). Snakes are completely odorless, which makes them better hunters.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:04:24 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:

Quoted:
...smelly ...

tell me, what does a snake smell like? The answer is they do not (not counting a defense mechanism from garter snakes and other snakes that use smell as a defense). Snakes are completely odorless, which makes them better hunters.

Well the snake itself may not smell, but his blood in my pool after I shot it caused a nice pond smell for a few days

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:04:24 PM EDT

[#12]

I grew up in the swamps of Louisiana, and moved to Georgia at 13. I compare this with children growing up in Eastern Europe around land mines. Watch your step.

My grandparents, my parents, and now, myself, value(d) their children more than venomous snakes, which is why I still kill rattlesnakes up here. My in-laws lose horses, cattle, dogs, etc., from them constantly. I have been bit, and will never forgive creatures that have no critical thinking skills and will take the life of someone or something I care dearly about without remorse, or reasoning. I equate snakes to someone that shoots a guy for walking on his lawn.

Just my $.02.

I do not, however, kill non-poisonous snakes.

Edit for beer induced spelling errors.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:04:44 PM EDT

[#13]

It's because most people cannot ID them and don't want any venomous ones around the yard. They can bite kids, pets and livestock and are dangerous around the unknowing.

If they taught Boy Scouts and/or school kids how to ID and catch them safely using non-venomous or venomoid snakes it would probably quickly turn into a non-issue. Venomous snakes are easy to catch in a completely safe manner.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:04:54 PM EDT

[#14]

I don't know; never handled them much. They sleep during the cold periods of the year, and they eat stuff that's not usually on my menu.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:05:12 PM EDT

[#15]

Because they are pretty much the only mammal, reptile, fowl, etc. that can either sneak up on a man or be there when you turn a corner and you won't know until it is too late. Due to those abilities, the tend to scare the shit out of most people when they are found.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:05:39 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Hardwired Biological instinct to fear snakes.

We evolved from small mammals - the kind of tasty treat snake predecessors and modern snakes like to eat.

Plus they look evil, are slithery and smelly and cold.

+1 to it being an instinctual fear deeply rooted in human nature. And there was good reason for it, too. Do you know what necrotic venom does to human tissue?

Some people seem more susceptible to this fear than others.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:05:40 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
I grew up in the swamps of Louisiana, and moved to Georgia at 13. I equate this with children growing up in Eastern Europe around land mines. Watch your step.

My grandparents, my parents, and now, myself, value(d) their children more than venomous snakes, which is why I still kill rattlesnakes up here. My in-laws lose horses, cattle, dogs, etc., form them constantly. I have been bit, and will never forgive creatures that have no critical thinking skills and will take the life of someone or something I care dearly about without remorse, or reasoning. I equate snakes to someone that shoots a guy for walking on his lawn.

Just my $.02.

Goal

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:06:53 PM EDT

[#18]

You'll love this:

I like snakes and reptiles but I hate spider WEBS!!!

Spiders are cool though.

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:56:20 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
...smelly ...

tell me, what does a snake smell like? The answer is they do not (not counting a defense mechanism from garter snakes and other snakes that use smell as a defense). Snakes are completely odorless, which makes them better hunters.

I had a friend come upon a rattle snake squirrel hunting and he said it stunk so bad you could hardly get near it.. WHY was he trying to get near it you ask?? to get the rattles AFTER he dispatched it..

My fear/dislike of snakes (any snake) is that i dont like to be surprised by animals.. And snakes have a way of surprising you

Brian

Posted: 7/20/2008 4:58:02 PM EDT

[#20]

If anyone has ever been near a Rattlesnake den, you will have a hard time arguing that snakes do not smell.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:04:02 PM EDT

[#21]

DUH!!....because they are evil.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:04:05 PM EDT

[#22]

They're ugly as hell and are generally reclusive or hostile towards humans.

Non-venomous snake bites carry the same risks of infection as any other deep puncture wound.

I shouldn't have to explain the hazards of venomous snake bites.

The best thing to do with all snakes in the wild is to avoid them. Snake goes one way and you go the other. Which is how the majority of snake vs. human encounters play out.

I personally wouldn't keep them as a pet. They're maintenance-intensive, and you can't play with them the same way you would a dog or cat. They are also fragile.

Any unwanted animal in my house that has the ability to hurt me will most likely end up dead. This goes for mice and other vermin, most bugs, etc. It's just my way of helping out with natural selection.

Any critter that wants to live should think twice about coming in uninvited. If they value their lives, they'll stay outside.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:08:36 PM EDT

[#23]

Speaking strictly for myself it's because of apathy and ignorance. I can not distinguish between every species of snake that might or might not be venomous and I have neither the desire nor the time at this point in my life to learn. I only have a finite amount of resources and energy to devote to the various topics that interest me. The identification of snakes and their habits are extremely low on the list of things I need to study. As a result I kill every snake that enters my yard. I don't seek them out, I don't swerve to hit them on the road etc...but if they come on my property they die.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:09:21 PM EDT

[#24]

I hate them because they scare the everloving shit out of me.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:09:52 PM EDT

[#25]

Not me but my wife FREAKS !

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:14:41 PM EDT

[#26]

I'm not a Zoologist, so if I see something that could be poisonous on my property I'm going to kill it. If I see a snake in my pool or my yard, I'm not going to look at it and say, "Oh my look, a harmless yellow bellied pansy crawler." I'm going to say, "Oh shit a snake! *BANG*"

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:15:24 PM EDT

[#27]

I think snakes are one of those animals that we are all instinctively scared of at some level. Yes some people keep them as pets.. but it's just not a creature that brings warm fuzzy feelings to mind.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:17:14 PM EDT

[#28]

Because Indiana Jones hates snakes. So must I.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:18:14 PM EDT

[#29]

I believe they are pussies, I kept hotts as pets..

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:28:19 PM EDT

[#30]

There are some people that genuinely have a phobia against snakes. Most of them hate snakes for the same reason most people hate guns, their parents and most of society teach them that they are bad.
Me, I love snakes, I had 42 of them at one time, also 3 cats, 2 ferrets, 9 geckos, and a giant bird eating tarantula. Those were fun times!

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:29:41 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
There are some people that genuinely have a phobia against snakes. Most of them hate snakes for the same reason most people hate guns, their parents and most of society teach them that they are bad.
Me, I love snakes, I had 42 of them at one time, also 3 cats, 2 ferrets, 9 geckos, and a giant bird eating tarantula. Those were fun times!

A loaded gun with the safety off sitting on the table will not kill you if you place your hand next to it.

Repeat the same with a snake, and you just might die/get hurt.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:35:14 PM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:

Quoted:
There are some people that genuinely have a phobia against snakes. Most of them hate snakes for the same reason most people hate guns, their parents and most of society teach them that they are bad.
Me, I love snakes, I had 42 of them at one time, also 3 cats, 2 ferrets, 9 geckos, and a giant bird eating tarantula. Those were fun times!

A loaded gun with the safety off sitting on the table will not kill you if you place your hand next to it.

Repeat the same with a snake, and you just might die/get hurt.

Handling venomous snakes is similar to gun safety, rule #1 is never get within striking range.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:37:31 PM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:

Quoted:
There are some people that genuinely have a phobia against snakes. Most of them hate snakes for the same reason most people hate guns, their parents and most of society teach them that they are bad.
Me, I love snakes, I had 42 of them at one time, also 3 cats, 2 ferrets, 9 geckos, and a giant bird eating tarantula. Those were fun times!

A loaded gun with the safety off sitting on the table will not kill you if you place your hand next to it.

Repeat the same with a snake, and you just might die/get hurt.

Handling venomous snakes is similar to gun safety, rule #1 is never get within striking range.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:42:27 PM EDT

[#34]

Mostly a learned response. Just like the Brits (most), Yankees (only some) and limp-wristed west coast libs have a visceral hatred of guns. It is learned and then reinforced. Snakes kill fewer people each year than psycho women, lightning, and white tail deer.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:43:43 PM EDT

[#35]

You guys do know there are really only 4 types of venomous occurring in the US?

Venomous Snakes for Dummies

Coral Snakes - 3 species - Easy to tell: "Red and black, friend of Jack; red and yellow kill a fellow".

Rattlers - 10 species - Honestly, if you are too dumb to tell its a rattlesnake, you deserve to be bitten.

Cottonmouth - "A dark, heavy-bodied water snake; broad-based head is noticeably wider than neck. Olive, brown, or black above; patternless or with serrated-edged dark crossbands."

Copperheads - "Stout-bodied; copper, orange, or pink-tinged, with bold chestnut or reddish-brown crossbands constricted on midline of back." They like to rattle their tales in dry leaves to sound like a rattler. Not a sure sign of danger, though. Non poisonous snakes do it as well. The young ones have green to yellow tails.

www.trailquest.net/SNpoi.html

I understand if folks move around alot. But I don't think there's much excuse if you don't know what local critters can hurt you.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:45:06 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
'cause sometimes they're in the salmon

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:45:51 PM EDT

[#37]

I only hate snakes when they are too close for comfort and are poisonous or in my house. I had one fill both nitches today. If he would have been a easy to recognise green snake at the edge of my yard heading away from my house he would have lived and i wouldn't have given him a second thought. The population density and kid per square mile ratio around where I live is too large to let a cottonmouth get away.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:46:24 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:

Johnny Reno's Rules of Life

Rule 1 - If it doesn't have 2 or 4 legs, it dies. (Waivers are available for some fish)

Rule 2 - If it considers me to be a meal, it dies.

Snakes are in violation of Rule 1 and sometimes Rule 2.

I live by the same Rules.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:47:54 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
You guys do know there are really only 4 types of venomous occurring in the US?

Venomous Snakes for Dummies

Coral Snakes - 3 species - Easy to tell: "Red and black, friend of Jack; red and yellow kill a fellow".

Rattlers - 10 species - Honestly, if you are too dumb to tell its a rattlesnake, you deserve to be bitten.

Cottonmouth - "A dark, heavy-bodied water snake; broad-based head is noticeably wider than neck. Olive, brown, or black above; patternless or with serrated-edged dark crossbands."

Copperheads - "Stout-bodied; copper, orange, or pink-tinged, with bold chestnut or reddish-brown crossbands constricted on midline of back." They like to rattle their tales in dry leaves to sound like a rattler. Not a sure sign of danger, though. Non poisonous snakes do it as well. The young ones have green to yellow tails.

www.trailquest.net/SNpoi.html

I understand if folks move around alot. But I don't think there's much excuse if you don't know what local critters can hurt you.

Copperheads also smell like cucumbers sometimes. If you're walking through a grassy area and you suddenly smell that smell, chances are there is a copperhead around.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:49:33 PM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:
Hardwired Biological instinct to fear snakes.

We evolved from small mammals - the kind of tasty treat snake predecessors and modern snakes like to eat.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:51:49 PM EDT

[#41]

Cause they scare the shit out of me.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:53:27 PM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:
Copperheads also smell like cucumbers sometimes. If you're walking through a grassy area and you suddenly smell that smell, chances are there is a copperhead around.

I'm sorry but I disagree with your statement. I raised Broad band copper heads and when they musk, it does not smell like cucumbers. Well if you consider the smell to be a cucumber left to rot on your kitchen counter for a month while keeping it moist so it will continue to rot and not dry out, a cucumber smell. Then you might be right

I would have to leave the room for at least 30min

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:57:27 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
Mostly a learned response. Just like the Brits (most), Yankees (only some) and limp-wristed west coast libs have a visceral hatred of guns. It is learned and then reinforced. Snakes kill fewer people each year than psycho women, lightning, and white tail deer.

Until you look at it world-wide. Snakes kill more people than any other wild vertebrate animal.

Posted: 7/20/2008 5:59:30 PM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Copperheads also smell like cucumbers sometimes. If you're walking through a grassy area and you suddenly smell that smell, chances are there is a copperhead around.

I'm sorry but I disagree with your statement. I raised Broad band copper heads and when they musk, it does not smell like cucumbers. Well if you consider the smell to be a cucumber left to rot on your kitchen counter for a month while keeping it moist so it will continue to rot and not dry out, a cucumber smell. Then you might be right

I would have to leave the room for at least 30min

My exposure to copperheads is from playing around on my uncle's farm in West Virginia as a kid. I was told to leave the area if I smelled that smell. Yes, I smelled it a couple of times. Don't know what more to make of it than that.

I've never had any exposure to copperheads that were kept in captivity/kept as pets.

Posted: 7/20/2008 6:05:10 PM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:
Hardwired Biological instinct to fear snakes.

We evolved from small mammals - the kind of tasty treat snake predecessors and modern snakes like to eat.

Plus they look evil, are slithery and smelly and cold.

Snakes are the Devil.

Ask Adam & Eve or Moses.

Posted: 7/20/2008 6:08:09 PM EDT

[#46]

Because they're pussies.

Posted: 7/20/2008 6:19:20 PM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Hardwired Biological instinct to fear snakes.

We evolved from small mammals - the kind of tasty treat snake predecessors and modern snakes like to eat.

Why are you laughing?

http://www.livescience.com/animals/080305-snakes-fear.html

New research suggests humans have evolved an innate tendency to sense snakes — and spiders, too — and to learn to fear them.

Psychologists found that both adults and children could detect images of snakes among a variety of non-threatening objects more quickly than they could pinpoint frogs, flowers or caterpillars. The researchers think this ability helped humans survive in the wild.

"The idea is that throughout evolutionary history, humans that learned quickly to fear snakes would have been at an advantage to survive and reproduce," said Vanessa LoBue, a post-doctoral fellow in psychology at the University of Virginia.