Hey everyone, I literally just registered here because I needed another good source of information. Well I have been researching for a long time on corn snakes and I feel I know everything I would ever need to know to give a corn snake a great home. The only problem is a relative that may be coming to live with us soon has a pretty bad fear of snakes. In her case she had a traumatic experience (it's not because snakes are "slimy" or "evil" or anything like that). Her dad used to chase her around with snakes he found, which obviously left her with a bad experience in snakes. My question is: Is there a safe way to talk to such a person to try and convince them that snakes aren't that bad? She can't look at a picture without freaking out so I can't just bring her to a store and have her hold one.... Should I even try to talk to her or is it better to just admit I will not be able to get a corn? I hope these aren't stupid questions but I'm kind of at a loss here... Thanks in advance for any responses.
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Ophidiophobia?
Replies (11)
Just from my experience in a store, and your friend sounds much worse than what I have dealt with, but you work in phases. Find what ever level they are comfortable, or just able to deal with. It will be tough with a picture being a limit.
Normally I have someone that can be 20 feet away. Hold it talk to them, show it is not a big deal. In fact, I usually talk about other stuff, as they look at the snake, and answer my questions.
I DON'T move closer without permission, but move the snake around. Place it on something behind me farther away from the person. Then re pick it up, so it moves closer to them, but no closer than before I started. Then maybe ask a friend or someone else afraid, but not as afraid to come closer. Seems to setup a competitive thing.
Some people can tough it in 20-30 minutes. Some never do, but you make advances.
Not something I do a lot, but I apply de-escalation teachings I had from the police academy.
NEVER EVER force it at all. Even in a joke. Much faster to make a set back than an advance.
Good luck.
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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom
Yeah, that's pretty much what I do when trying to show someone that most snakes are absolutely NOTHING to fear at all. It's hard for me to understand, since I've had snakes since the age of seven, but an extremely large prcentage of the population is like this.
You really do have to start from "square one" with someone who is that afraid, and choose the slowest, calmest snake you have for the showing. It almost has to be handled like talking someone out of committing suicide from a bridge, or a tall building!..LOL
I usually start out by telling them something like,...."If this snake was anything even slightly dangerous, do you think I would be holding it?,.....and then say,..."this snake doesn't even notice me!, it just thinks I'm a branch to crawl on!". Usually, after a while of seeing the placid snake just meandering around and casually climbing on my arm, they can see for themselves that there really must NOT be any real danger at all. While all this is going on, I'm usually taking very small, slow baby steps towards them so they can get a better view of the "harmless" animal, and the person usually is totally unaware of it happening. Usually, after all this reinforcement, most of the time they will soon give in and touch the snake. Eventually that leads to a short petting of the snake, and generally, it's not too much longer that they are even willing to hold the "non business end" of the snake!..LOL.....And of course, usually following soon after that, they can even be talked into holding the entire snake, as long as you are right there with them saying...."see!,...I told you snakes were no big deal!".
Most of the time, the once frightful person becomes instantly extremely proud of themselves to see they are actually holding a snake. Once this "ice" is broken, it's pretty smooth sailing from then on, and they often want to hold it again!.
In any case, remember,.....it's all in the way you introduce the situation. With a little common sense, and subtlety, you should be able to turn most anyone around from the crazy unfounded fear of snakes.......good luck!
~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"
It helped alot with my mom to talk about snakes in general. Neat facts like how they eat only once a week. Especialy talk about how they have such a bad reputation as scary evil creatures when in reality they are incredibly vulnerable to pretty much anything that wants to eat it and afraid of anything it can't eat itself.
Though, that worked well for her because her fears stemmed from many misconceptions (like they are slimy) that clearing them up solved pretty much all her concerns. Now every time she (my snake) is in blue and we don't see her for a week my mom gets all worried about her and I have to explain that she is okay, she is just shedding. 
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My Pictures
LOL!!.....yes indeed!, the "slimy" deal!,..... what a classic!
Probably 90 plus percent of the general public thinks their slimy and slippery!,...it REALLY is amazing!
What's funny is,....an infant human will willingly reach out to grab a snake,... imagine that!........humans are "taught" later on to be afraid of snakes from others that have been told that,..and so on, and so on.........e.g."uncle George was attacked by a giant Water Moccasin that leaped out of a tree into his boat".....in reality, Uncle George startled the hell out of a watersnake that was basking on a limb, so in a panic, the snake accidentally fell off into the boat instead of the water!..LOL.....know what I mean?
I had a black dude tell me he found a "chicken snake" in his kitchen cabinets, and said that they were attracted to lactating women, that's why it was coiled up on the cans of "baby formula".
....I simply told him ..no, they are NOT attracted to lactating women, OR baby formula,.....but they ARE attracted to all the mice and rats in your house!......man, you should have heard all the laughter from the other guys that were there, it was HILLARIOUS!
~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"
When I first asked my wife about getting a snake her response was "You bring a snake home and I'm gone!"
By making her an active partner in the process, she not only relented, but choose our snake! It wasn't a corn, but a ball python that broke the ice. Eventually she became a skilled snake keeper.
Here she is with "her" snake.
John D
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I am so not lesdysxic!
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Hey everything, thanks for all of your quick responses. It seems that it's almost "easy" to do this if the person with ophidiophobia can stand looking at a snake. The only problem is this person can't even look at a picture of one. Are there any ways to try and do this with a low amount of stress over e-mail? She is living a few states away right now so I can't talk face-to-face. Maybe if I could do something creative? For example... Listing all the great positive qualities of corn snakes first, then at the end of the e-mail after she read all of that I could tell her it was a snake? I don't know how irrationally she thinks of snakes but I think if I just talk to her constantly I would be able to at least convince her that it won't hurt her. What do you guys think? Thanks again for all your feedback.
Perhaps ease her into photos with one that just shows a small bit of snake (not the head, I find that tends to be the "scary" part for some people) hidden in a lot of greenery? Find some good art photos with snakes, and discuss them as art? Maybe a drawing, or a cartoon that's less threatening?
Just tossing ideas.
I hate to say this but in my experience someone with a fear so irrational that they can not even look at a picture is really difficult, if not impossible, to turn. Having said that, I don't think that you have to admit defeat. If there is a small room in the house that your friend would not have to use, the snake could be kept in that room and she would not have to see the animal. Another thought is to house the animal in such a way that it can not be seen. While this may take some of the enjoyment away, you will still be able to handle and interact with the animal while your friend is not around. Rack systems actually work well for this as most have very limited visibility. If you are only planning on one snake, however, they are a little bit of overkill. If you are looking at a single enclosure, you could cover the viewing are or put the enclosure behing some kind of screen.
These may not seem like great solutions, however, you are choosing to live with someone who has a profound fear and, no matter how irrational, you have to respect that. It may be that the solution needs to be as extreme as her fear. Just some thoughts.
Rob
They have to want to try , even if just a little. Picture with no head is a good idea. A picture across the room.
Maybe where a snake costume for hallween? OK kidding lol
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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom
would be to grasp her firmly by the shoulders, shake her violently and tell her to "wake up and get real!"......LOL
This has historically been known to have VERY successful results!.........I think this is the method I like best, but would probably have to resort to the other alternative methods previously mentioned by myself and others first...LOL
Try letting her see a "cute" little pic of a hatchling snake with big cute eyes first, that will surely seem much less dangerous than a "menacing" view of an adult snake.
In any case, hope you have some luck with one of the methods!
~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"
My mom still kind of shudders and goes "ewww" a little bit at very "snakey" looking snake pictures. Very unusual morphs like leucistic, or hatchling anerys with their blueish eyes illicit an "ohhh, pretty".
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