Halloween: Ophidiophobia

Since today is Halloween, a post like this seemed the most appropriate thing to type!
I have noticed in the world, especially since I have gotten into reptile keeping, that people have an extreme fear of snakes. Much like the fear of spiders, it's not uncommon to hear about, especially in this country. Most people perceive reptiles as large, man-eating monsters that can spit venom from 10 feet away. This is just not true.

(My Sand Boa, Hatshepsut, is a great example of a
friendly snake. She loves to be held!)

The news is filled with images of massive pythons eating alligators and venomous snakes loose inside zoo facilities. It really is no wonder people are afraid. The biggest problem is, there is no reason to be so scared. Most snakes you will run into here in the US are non-venomous, small, and usually keep to unpopulated areas. They will not try to come after you, unless you are scaring or cornering them. You may have heard it before, but I'll say it again. They're just as scared of you as you are of them. Most native snakes can even calm down to someone handling them, but I would not recommend doing so unless you understand your reptile species.

If one you find happens to be venomous, remember this, they want to avoid confrontation as much as you. Their venom is a precious commodity. They could loose all their venom with one bite, thus most the time choosing not to inject it. It can take a day to as long as a week before the venom is remade. Unless the venomous snake is in your house or on your property, leave it where it is and let it keep on living. If it IS posing a threat to you and your family, call in an expert to remove it. There are many people willing to save the snake rather than kill it. You may not find them as beautiful as I do, but they are essential to the environment.

For those of us who own captive snakes, we could go on all day in support of our little friends. The snakes I own are just as friendly as any dog, and with better table manners then most. If you even get bitten by one, people can tell you that it's no worse than getting a scratch from a cat. If you have Ophidiophobia, you should try giving them a chance. You might just come to like them.