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 wasn’t aware of this phenomenon but this explains a story of mine. Halloween when I was a kid, we were out with my friend’s mom trick-or-treating when a copperhead jumped out into the street we were walking on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a human react faster, friend’s mom picked up a rock, threw it, and struck the snake in the head. Part of that was probably mon instinct, but I wonder if she had a snake sense.
This thread made me remember a story my own mom told me about seeing a snake heading towards oblivious-toddler me and how she reacted without even thinking to yank me away. Mom action hero vs snake moments!