Snakes are probably the most misunderstood animals. They’re some of the most beautiful creatures on the entire planet and yet there is some kind of racism (or rather “species-ism”) going on against them. This phobia of snakes has become way too common, and I have yet to hear a valid reason for it. Here are some of the usual excuses people make up, and then the truth:

They’re slimy!

Snakes are not slimy.

They either have smooth or keeled scales, dry nonetheless. I have no idea how this little theory of slimativity came to be. Touch a snake, disprove the theory, and lose your fear of snakes.

They’re venomous!

You almost got me on that one. Almost.

Sure, some are venomous. Take a guess at how many snakes are capable of injuring you.

10% of snakes even have venom. Only a much smaller percent have it potent enough to cause you harm. The chances of you even encountering a venomous snake are even lower. If you’re not “mathematically inclined” just know that it’s rare to see a dangerous snake. If you do, simply stay away.

If these numbers are so low, why do people kill every snake they see? Because the small amount of dangerous snakes create a bad rep for all the harmless ones. Don’t kill them, but just assume it is venomous, and keep your distance. How would you feel if some aliens came down from planet uoragndkjandue, one of them got hurt by a human who was just defending himself, and from then on aliens assumed that all humans are dangerous and solved the problem by killing us? Like a snake, that’s how.

They’re giant bone-crushers!

You almost got me again.

There are only a handful of constrictors that reach the length capable of hurting you. I’d bet you’ll never meet one of these either. Same protocol as before; just keep your distance. They are dangerous, I’ll give you that. I’m not trying to convince you otherwise. All I want is the well-deserved respect for these creatures.

They’re just scary!

By what definition?

What is the cause of fear? Ignorance. The number one reason for fear of anything is lack of knowledge about it. It’s a mystery to them, they don’t understand what they do and why – the reaction is fear. Anything with different characteristics than us can be scary.

Are snakes scary because they have a different number of legs than us? So do dogs. Why aren’t we scared of dogs? Because we see them all the time, we know a lot about them.

Are snakes scary because they eat other animals? So do cats. But we see cats every day and we understand them. Hey, even humans eat animals, and yet we are able to look at ourselves in the mirror without screaming.

Are snakes scary because of the way they move? Birds fly. Fish swim. There are many methods of locomotion. They slither. We walk. They aren’t any more different from us as we are from them.

How do I cure my fear?

I said earlier that ignorance is the cause of fear. Learning about snakes is the solution then. Understand how they live and appreciate their unique beauty.

How many other animals can say they have pits above their lips to detect heat? Not many and it’s not just due to their lack of vocalization.

Snakes (especially constrictors) are amazingly strong. Feel a snake while it’s moving and you would think it’s pure muscle.

Most snakes can eat prey that are many times the size of its own head. Their skin is very stretchable especially in the area around their throat. A snake’s mouth can open many degrees and on top of that, their bottom jaw can unhinge into two separate parts working independently to pull the meal down its throat. “Well Alec, if its mouth is completely full, how does it breathe?” While our wind pipe ends at our throat, a snake’s continues all the way to the tip of its mouth so it can be stuck out during feeding time.

The above facts alone make me admire them. Snakes are full of unique adaptations to ensure their survival, and you know what? Trying to survive is exactly what they’re doing if they happen to bite somebody. They’re scared, and I don’t blame them when there’s so much poaching going on.

Ever heard of someone killing a snake because they said it got in their house or on their property? That’s a lie. They were on the snake’s property. Snakes have been around for millions of years. We just step into the picture and assume that the world was made for us and we own it. With all the land development taking place, I’m surprised that animals other than us still exist. Think about this next time you see a snake and give them the respect they deserve.

Bottom Line

Don’t fear snakes; understand that some can hurt you. Don’t hate snakes; appreciate them (at a distance).