Ophidiophobia is the panic of snakes. This fear, despite being considered a mental disorder, is one of the most common. Psychologists in the classification of phobias and fears of people classify Ophidiophobia as part of Zoophobias, which are that range of fears of all animals in the ecosystem. The ophidiophobes feel the panic of the vipers in any of their denominations when they know of the presence of these in the space in which they are, any contact with a snake is considered a threat for those who suffer from this disorder.
The main cause of Ophidiophobia is its venom, some species of these animals have as defense and hunting mechanism lethal injections of venom that they expel through their fangs. Also its size is intimidating, there are snakes that can eat large animals such as crocodiles, deer, after strangling them and breaking their bones by squeezing them while they roll them with their body.It should be noted that only a small percentage of the world's snake species have Lethal poisons or are of a size large enough to cause harm to a person or a large animal, however, this information is not relevant to the panic that the presence of a creeping reptile generates in an ophidiophobic.A curious fact about Ophidiophobia is that it is one of the few phobias that can be inherited or instilled in the home for religious reasons, because some cultures associate the presence of these animals with demonic entities.
There are species of snakes that are particularly famous for their dangerousness, the cobras, which made their fame in Egyptian culture for killing many people, the boas constrictors, their large size and findings of specimens gobbling even cows. So if there are many reasons to fear them, however, it should be noted that not all snakes are poisonous. According to statistics, the psychological treatment that people receive has been ineffective, however it is based on making the person understand that they are not in danger (the chances of encountering a snake depend on where they are, but it is still low) and in giving them recommendations such as the use of clothes that especially cover the ankles and other vulnerable areas.
