Natural History
Why Are Humans Scared of Snakes?
Post a photo of a live snake on social media and see what happens. Odds are, the comments will follow a common theme: “Kill it.” A photo of a one-foot garter snake basking on the edge of a dock and a full-grown rattlesnake ready to strike will often draw the same response:
“The only good snake is a dead snake.”
What is it about serpents, or even just photos of harmless ones, that draw such visceral reactions? As it turns out, there’s...