As someone who’s been afraid of snakes for as long as I can remember, I’ve often wondered where that fear came from. I’ve never been bitten or harmed by a snake. I’ve had close encounters with rattlesnakes out in the wild, but no actual strikes. I’ve had friends with pet snakes that were perfectly docile, and I’ve even held and petted snakes before (with no small amount of trepidation). While I think a healthy respect for snakes is wise, as some can be dangerous or even deadly, my fear goes way beyond that. I know lions, tigers, and bears are dangerous as well, but don’t feel like I’m going to jump out of my skin when I see them like I do when I see a snake.
Why, though? Is that reaction something I learned when I was little, or is it an instinctive, evolutionary fear I inherited from my ancestors?
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