Snakes are one of the most feared animals on the planet. Most people feel anxious around snakes, and 2-3% of people meet the criteria for ophidiophobia or the overwhelming fear of snakes. Why is this? Well according to the Cleveland Clinic, there are three reasons people have a fear of snakes. These include genetics, learned behavior, and superstitions or cultural beliefs. Some people can get their fear of snakes genetically by having a family history of anxiety disorders. While ophidiophobia is considered an anxiety disorder, it is still exacerbated by media and common misconceptions. Snakes are needed to keep the environment healthy and balanced; they’re calm creatures that want to stay to themselves, and, in reality, most of what people hear about snakes is nonsense. There are multitudes of reasons to help snake conservation efforts, such as the environment, the misconceptions on social media, and the general safety of snakes. Snakes don’t pose as much of a threat to humans as people believe.
Firstly, snakes contribute to the local environment in ways people don’t notice. Snakes feed on a wide variety of different animals including rodents, birds, other reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Now, imagine if there were no snakes around to feed on them. An overwhelming amount of people kill snakes that they find near their homes, which is an oversight on their part. Without snakes around, the local rodent population would increase significantly. While this is good for rodents, it’s bad for the environment and homeowners. With an increase in the rodent population, it’s more likely for them to make their way into houses. Also, with an increase, there is more competition for their food. Having snakes around keeps the rodent population in check and makes sure it doesn’t get out of hand. Another reason it’s beneficial to keep the rodent population from growing too large is that they would then feed on a larger amount of insects, which leads to a decrease in the population of certain beneficial insects, which in turn leads to harming the environment. Without snakes in nature, a never-ending cycle begins that will always eventually harm and ruin the environment.
The issue with social media is that anything can be said, which includes things that simply aren’t true. It’s a common misconception that snakes are bloodthirsty, which the media likes to escalate. A common fable concerning snakes that is very popular on Facebook is that snakes will size animals up before eating. This comes from a false story of a woman who had a pet snake that was allegedly sizing her up to eat her in her sleep. Snakes are opportunistic eaters; if they see something they want, they won’t wait to size it up. They strike, and if said food ends up being too large, they regurgitate it. Snakes don’t measure their prey, and they don’t plan out their next meals. This story is so inaccurate and spreads so much misinformation. The Facebook story is completely made up, but that doesn’t stop people from believing in it and using it to fuel others hatred and fear.
Most people view snakes as considerably dangerous animals when in reality they don’t pose much of a threat. Snakes are capable and have the potential to bite humans but will instead try to avoid humans and only bite as a last resort. Even in the unlikely case that someone does get bit, it’s very unlikely for that bite to be considered dangerous. With over 3,200 identified snake species, only around 600 are venomous, with roughly around only 200 species that can kill or significantly wound a human. That’s about 7% of snake species that pose a threat to humans. Snakes are considerably wary of humans and aren’t prone to strike. A bite is their last-ditch effort to avoid harm. The chances of dying from a venomous snake bite in the US are nearly zero. Annually 7,000-8,000 people are bitten by snakes with only one in 50 million dying from a snakebite. Roughly one in 37,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year. The national average for deaths from snake bites is 5 deaths per year, which means people are more likely to die from dog attacks or a bee sting than from snakes.
Snakes shouldn’t be feared just because they aren’t understood. They’re helpful to their natural habitats, they’re wildly misunderstood, and, compared to other animals, they’re relatively safe to be around. There should be more to spread this information and end all the misconceptions. What’s the point of killing this beautiful creature if it only harms everything in the end? Everyone should think of that question before trying to kill any snakes they find. For a better future, take care of the environment, and take care of Earth’s creatures.
