Why Are We Afraid of Snakes?
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11 April 2024
A majority of people in this world are scared of snakes. In fact, fear of snakes, spiders and other creepy crawlers is universal
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It's because humans have a genetic predisposition, called biological preparedness, to easily learn a fear of snakes at a young age
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Researchers say that this fear is deep-rooted, one we likely developed from ancestors who lived 40-60 million years ago
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Throughout human history, encounters with venomous snakes proved to be life-threatening
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Humans who learned quickly to fear snakes, were at an advantage to survive and reproduce, as per experts
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They then passed this fear on to their genes. As a result, we have an inherited stress reaction to snakes
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Stories, folklores and cultural beliefs also depict snakes as threatening and dangerous, and as symbols of evil and fear
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A 2013 study found that our brain is evolutionarily conditioned to be afraid of snake-like forms
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Snakes also possess certain visual characteristics that may contribute to the fear they evoke
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Their long, slim body, often covered in scales, and an unblinking gaze can appear unfamiliar, and creepy
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