Herp Report: Fear rules
Ophidiophobia is the number one thing that terrorizes people. For those of us that live with snakes, we can't understand this. I have worked with folks to help get over the fear, however some just never wish to work over this.
A truly sad story from OneIndia today:
Out of both curiosity and panic, several people came to see the snakes and killed them with sticks. The dead snakes were then placed in a bowl and burnt in a field.
"Naza Naza (cobra) is a rear species of snake. According to tradition, snakes should not be killed, but the villagers did so out of fear. We will look into the matter and we will ensure that it is not repeated. We are trying to make some plans to catch the snakes in future," said Apurba Sen, a divisional forest officer.
From Inventorspot, a pill now helps overcome the fear:
ow, Dr. Yadin Dudai, head of the recent Weizman study, has pinpointed the area of the brain that is vital in overcoming fear. By scanning the brains of volunteers with and without fear of snakes - ophidiophobia, Dr. Dudai observed the exact area in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex responsible for bravery.
The subjects controlled their own exposure to a live snake placed on a conveyor belt running in front of them, through a button that would bring the snake closer or further away. A subject demonstrated bravery by moving the snake physically closer to him. The closer the the subject moved the snake towards him, the more the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex was involved, lighting up when those with fear of snakes showed bravery.
Of course the military is all over this one.
Lastly a clue as to where some of the fear comes from in the Longmont Daily Times. When I do my educational programs, I correct this act instantly, one little act changes not only how people look at the snake, but also the snake keeper.
I certainly wouldn’t have been around to witness the encounter. I’m terrified of snakes. When I was in college, I borrowed my boyfriend’s car one day. He and his buddies found a snake skin that had been recently shed and decided to play a trick on me. Knowing my fear of snakes, they carefully placed the snake skin around the steering wheel, with the head facing the driver’s seat.
As I climbed in the car, I reached down to put the key in the ignition and found myself face to face with what I thought was a live snake. Lightning would probably best describe the speed at which I exited that car. Of course, the guys were standing on a balcony above the street, laughing their heads off.
When we visited family in south Texas, our daughter was showing us around her new home on 30 acres bounded by a creek. I asked her if she had many snakes. She pointed to a spot near the garage where she had encountered one. I asked her what kind it was, and she replied, “It was a dead one when I got through with it.” Good girl!
Remember to be responsible with your encounters.
