For reference:
https://gizmodo.com/are-humans-hardwired-to-detect-snakes-1453865235
I had a moment last week where I stopped before I consciously recognized a snake. The poor thing was dead, but it reminded me that I’d read about this happening before. However, since I know about it, I could be reading into my response. When I’ve asked other people, a couple have been like “oh, I think I had that happen once.” But that’s all anecdotes I’ve biased by telling them the theory.
Nevertheless, I enjoy the anecdotes, and I’m also curious if other people think it’s real.
I don’t have a fear of snakes, and no, they can be right next to me and I don’t notice.
Most “water moccasins” are other black water snakes, rattlesnake won’t bother you, it will run away. We just don’t have any snakes where I live that are both venomous and aggressive. No cobras, no mambas nothing like that.
I was working in the yard once and a hawk was watching me. He saw the snake I did not, swooped down, grabbed it, and flew up onto the fence next to me, then ate the snake quite dramatically right in front of me. That’s how clueless I am about them. I do like to see them in the yard, but they usually hide.
You know, I don’t think of myself as afraid of snakes or even anxious around them, but looking back I remember certain things that might have created some wariness.
I remember going out to play in the spring and family warning me to leave any snakes i saw sunning themselves alone because they were confused and slow (and thus more dangerous?) when they were colder. And my mother telling a story about a snake coming towards me when I was very little playing outside, and her sweeping in to grab me. I could have absorbed that wariness, and it’s just in my brain now. I think they’re kind of cute, honestly, but maybe my grandmother transmitted her phobia to me while babysitting with stories I don’t even remember.
I was curious if many people would mention having a non-reaction like yours. Brains are so interesting!