FLORIDA TODAY (Melbourne) 18 August 06 Snakes are a cold-blooded mystery (Breuse Hickman)
Beware. Snakes are slithering, scary creatures, just waiting to attack you when you least expect it, most likely in the dark. And when they do, you'd better be ready to speed dial 911, because even the slightest nip can cause you to assume room temperature in minutes.
No, that's not right. Snakes are beautiful, intricately patterned reptiles that not only rid these parts of rats -- many disease carrying ones to boot -- they also make wonderful pets in the home.
Believe what you want to, because as far as Chris Delorey is concerned, there is no gray area when it comes to one's feelings about the scaly, legless, (and sometimes venomous) reptiles of the suborder Serpentes or Ophidia.
Brevard Zoo's education director knows people either love them or have a deadly fear of them.
Whichever your condition, it's long been labeled.
Ophiophilia is a love of snakes. Ophidiophobia is a fear of them.
Still, snake experts and owners are miffed at misconceptions scaling the new "Snakes on a Plane" film, which opens today.
For starters, they aren't predators and "really don't want anything to do with us," Delorey says. Still, he can understand why a movie about snakes and planes add up to an ideal horror flick.
"The movie is playing on two main fears we have: flying on a plane and snakes," he said. "It's that extreme phobia that you can't go anywhere to get away from them."
That fear often stems from sudden serpentine encounters.
"Many people have had that experience of being startled by one," Delorey says.
Even Delorey, who has been around snakes most of his life and enjoys handling and studying the slimy creatures, admits he's jumped a few feet back.
There was that time he reached for what he thought was a branch -- only to quickly discover he was holding a red rat snake. He once stepped on a rattlesnake with his bare feet, prompting the snake and Delorey to take off in opposite directions.
But Delorey says you can overcome your fear once you know the facts.
Here is something to take comfort in: This part of Florida is home to about 44 types of snakes, but only four are venomous snakes. (In other words, there's a good chance the snake you find crawling through your flower beds probably won't hurt you.)
Generally, the most toxic of the bunch is the coral snake, which is considered non-aggressive -- unless it's cornered.
Others to have a healthy fear over are the diamondback rattlesnake, the water moccasin and the pygmy rattler.
Then again, discerning between poisonous and non-poisonous gets confusing.
The zoo often fields calls from folks who happen upon snakes, often mistakenly assuming they've encountered a poisonous one.
It's common, because immediately spotting the indicative features can be difficult.
For instance, you're canoeing down the Peace River and notice snakes gracefully gliding through the water beside you.
Most likely, they are not water moccasins -- which are different from common water snakes because of a thin white line through the side of the head, just about where the eye is.
Quick safety tip: You're probably better off not making eye-to-eye contact just to cure your curiosity.
You can acquaint yourself with real snakes at the zoo, which has a variety of crawlers -- all non-venomous.
Slithering into the exhibit are two new residents: Saga and Jabali, African rock pythons.
They will make their debut during the zoo's Reptile Weekend Sept. 2-4.
The activity-filled weekend also will allow brave visitors a chance to touch snakes.
Snakes are a cold-blooded mystery