A study of more than 100 kindergarten-age children suggests kids tend to think of snakes differently than they do other animals and that hearing negative or objectifying language about the slithery reptiles might contribute to that way of thinking.
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On the other hand, according to some research (there is a paper about it somewhere) human brains visually recognize snakes on noisy pictures, quicker than any other animal.
The hypothesis is that the benefit/risk ratio of mingling with snakes is too low, so the brain learned over the years to quickly identify and avoid them.
The fear of snakes is definitely passed down through their parents words/actions. I know a family who’s adult children are deathly afraid of snakes. They were raised by a mother who is deathly afraid and taught that fear was the correct response.
