What animals are you afraid of ?

[Maciamo]

It is part of human instinct to be naturally scared of some animal species. Most people are either afraid of snakes or spiders, or both. Many don't like bugs, especially big cockroaches. Scorpions are yet others that most people wouldn't dare touch and would probably run away from.

What I find amazing is that our "human instinct" can vary so much from one person to another, even between siblings. A tiny, harmless spider already makes me uneasy, but I have no apprehension when it comes to snakes or other reptiles. In fact, I'd be more "scared" by a cockroach than by a python. I wouldn't take a cockroach with my hands, but I have done it with snakes and didn't mind it at all. Where is the logic ?

Let's see in this poll how scared you are of the 4 above-mentioned animals : snakes, spiders, scorpions and cockroaches.

[Kinsao]

I'm OK with what you mentioned, except for cockroaches I voted "I am not compulsive about it but I wouldn't touch one". I'd touch one if necessary, but I'd not choose it.

I'm wary of poisonous critters, but that makes sense I think!

[Tsuyoiko]

I am not at all scared of snakes or spiders - in fact I like spiders. I find their shapes, and the markings they can have on their legs and bodies, are often beautiful. I wouldn't like to have a smallish spider crawling on me in case it went in my ear or something, but I wouldn't mind holding a tarantula at all. I have held a snake before and it was fine. I wouldn't even mind if it crawled (or slithered) over me. I wouldn't hold a cockroach, but they don't bother me if I see one. But scorpions terrify me. I have even had nightmares about them they scare me so much. But even worse, maybe because you see then more often, is wasps. I am morbidly afraid of wasps. If one is near me I will run away. I have even got off the bus early because there was a wasp on there, and a few times I have phoned my Dad because there was a wasp in my kitchen and I was too afraid to go in there.

[Kinsao]

I lived in a flat once, where there was a wasp nest right near the door. It was OK actually, I could still go in and out from the door with no problems, and the added benefit, it scared the dinky kid vandals away! But, one problem... there was some way the wasps were coming inside to the cavity of the wall in my flat, and then they would fall through the ventilations onto my windowsills. So, my windowsills they were constantly full of dead wasps! Ewwww... I found the little bodies of wasps much more gross than the living wasps, which I don't mind unless they are landed on me.

Sorry - off topic a little.

Hehe... "what animals are you afraid of?".... I am morbidly AFRAID OF RABBITS!!!

............ j/k

[lastmagi]

I guess it depends on the context. I just came back from a science class, so I may have been unconsciously imagining them in a lab/research context and where I find these creatures (minus the cockroach) pretty admirable for the ways they live and work, but I probably wouldn't want to be cuddling with a scorpion that I found in my boots while out in the desert.

Spiders- I've had to take some out of my room before to let them free, so I'm not afraid of touching them, exactly. As long as they don't crawl around and into my pants or something, I guess. Still, they're not my favorite (no offense, aranomorphic members out there!)

Snakes- I love snakes. The way they feel as they try to slither out of your hand. The way they relax after a while as you hold them. They're very beautiful and elegant creatures, even if some have the annoying tendency to musk when you scare them.

Scorpions- I haven't ever seen a scorpion before. I wouldn't mind taking one in my hand if it wasn't poisonous (and, also, if they didn't try to sting me, but they probably would anyway). Maybe all that Mortal Kombat has desensitized me "Get over here!"

Cockroaches- I admit I'm a little uneasy with them, but it's mostly more a hygienic matter than anything else.

[Tsuyoiko]

I lived in a flat once, where there was a wasp nest right near the door.

We have had wasps nests in both the houses we have lived in. Here is a little story about the one in the last house. The exterminator came and sorted it, but for a few days after we got the odd dead wasp dropping out of there. A couple of days after I saw this wasp moving along the ground, and thought the exterminator must have missed one. But it looked strange how it was moving, so I looked closer and saw that it was being carried by two ants! I suppose they were going to feast on it! It was cool to see them carrying this wasp probably 50 times their size!

Hehe... "what animals are you afraid of?".... I am morbidly AFRAID OF RABBITS!!!

............ j/k

Iris bares her teeth, and says, "You'd better be scared lady!"

[Mycernius]

Spiders bother me, but only big ones. Small ones I have no problem with, but the bigger it is the more likely I am to squash it. I can get close to them, bait their webs, but if it made a move towards me I would kill it. I know exactly where this fear comes from. My brother was bitten by a house spider. I don't want to be, so I avoid the problem by not touching them. As for the others in the list, no problem with any of them, in fact I like snakes. Used to be afraid of moths when I was young.

[xerxes99]

Cockroaches, Ugh! God, I hate those little monsters. down here in Florida they have something called Palmeadow bugs, which are basicalls huge flying cockroaches. they always go right for your face. ugh

[acquiredtarget]

Spiders and scorpions give me the shivers. I wouldn't go out of my way to touch a snake or cockroach, but I'm not so afraid of them (unless its a big snake)

Do politicians count too? They scare me the most.

[Anchyyy]

I am scared of cockroaches *shivers* but i like scorpions and snakes. A friend has one and he put it on my hands once. It was pretty cold but i like the way it was moving around me As for spiders... I wouldn't mind touching one as long as its not poisonous

[Alma]

4.1.

but in general, i'm not afraid of animals... but sometimes of people.. yes

[Clawn]

I'm okay with each and every one of them, mainly because I know so much about each one, that none of them can really make me fear them. Cockroaches (I still don't get why most people are afraid of them), though, have to be admired for their ability to survive. Plus, most of them, including the infamous hissing cockroaches, are more funny than scary!

[isayhello]

spiders. *shiver*

.. and actually.. horses too! They're too big and scary. I don't trust them. . .

[bossel]

What I find amazing is that our "human instinct" can vary so much from one person to another, even between siblings.

That's because the reason most probably isn't instinct. It's more the (social) environment you grow up in & personal experience in your early childhood which influence subconsciousness.

[Maciamo]

That's because the reason most probably isn't instinct. It's more the (social) environment you grow up in & personal experience in your early childhood which influence subconsciousness.

Although phobia can be partly acquired, researches have shown that instinct played an important role. If it was only environmental, siblings wouldn't be so clearly different, even opposite, in their fears, and the fear would be controllable using one's cerebral cortex (reason, self-control...). But it isn't.

It is apparently the result of millions of years of evolution. That is why, even rational people who know perfectly well that a big spider or snake is harmless have a severely increased heartbeat, sweat and stress level when they face one of them, an even more if it comes close to them or touch them. I am not sure if you have any such phobia, but I have tried to control my emotions about spiders and the best I could do is stay reasonably calm when I was at least 2m away from a giant spider (Australia was a good trial, as I was confronted more than 10 times to such giant spiders).

From the BBC on Zoophobia

Phobias may be learnt from another person. For example, a child may see his mother screaming and reacting hysterically to a spider, and from then on associate it with danger. A traumatic experience may be the trigger: a child may have been viciously attacked by a dog, thus developing the phobia. Books and television are also responsible - there are many people who are still afraid to go into the water after the film Jaws.

Inate biological instincts may also be partly to blame. Primitive humans would have needed to avoid certain species of animals, as we do now, such as venomous snakes, poisonous frogs, tarantulas and wolves. These instincts may simply be particularly strong in some people.

[Sensuikan San]

Spiders simply scare the Bejaysus out of me !

Uuuuuuuugh.........!

Once woke up to find a really huge black wolf spider crawling across my pillow towards my face. I vomited.

It's not natural to have eight legs!

ジョン

[nurizeko]

Im not really scared of anything, i'll smack a mozzy, or get away from a wasp, but apart from that most animals and things i aint bothered about.

[Kinsao]

I think mostly that our seemingly "irrational" fear of scorpions, snakes and spiders (for those that have that fear) is basically a self-preservation instinct in case they are poisonous. That's why people feel scared sometimes even if they know the creature is harmless. For instance, I don't mind spiders and even like them and I don't like to kill one by mistake... but I was brought up in a country that doesn't have poisonous spiders. If I'd grown up in a place with lots of poisonous spiders/insects, the chances are I'd have at least a healthy wariness of them.

[Tsuyoiko]

I agree with you Kinsao. I think my fear of wasps is pretty rational, 'cos it hurts if they sting you!

[Pachipro]

Bees, wasps, hornets. For some unknown reason I am deathly afraid of them and act like a scared schoolgirl if one comes around me by trying to get away from them as fast as I can. To me it's illogical that I should act that way, but I do and I have not yet been stung by one of them in my 50 years on this planet. Someone once told me that my fear of them probably lies in the fact that I may have been killed by a sting or numerous stings in a previous life.

The thought of the "killer bees" making their way up to these parts from Mexico and southern US scares the bejesus out of me.

[jovial_jon]

I'm really bad with spiders. They're horrible. For cockroaches and scorpians, I voted level 2...I've got no problems with them, but I'd quite like to avoid them. Snakes are alright.

isayhello: I thought I was the only one...horses are horrible. Don't get me started on Shetland ponies. *shudder*

[Sensuikan San]

I agree with you Kinsao. I think my fear of wasps is pretty rational, 'cos it hurts if they sting you!

Agreed. Personally .... I'm not frightened of wasps - I just respect the varmints!

... especially the little bugger that managed to find his way into my beer can at a barbecue a few summers ago .... one swig ... and ...ouch!

Still smarting around the gums ...

ジョン

[bossel]

Although phobia can be partly acquired, researches have shown that instinct played an important role.

I think, phobias are completely acquired. A phobia is a mental illness.

If it was only environmental, siblings wouldn't be so clearly different, even opposite, in their fears, and the fear would be controllable using one's cerebral cortex (reason, self-control...).

Actually, this is an argument against instinct. If it really was hardwired into our brains, there wouldn't be much room for individual deviation.

It is apparently the result of millions of years of evolution.

In the case of snakes, I could see a certain probability for an evolutionary background to fear. There actually could be an advantage in selection if you don't come near snakes.
But spiders? 99.9 % (well, don't really know the number) of all spiders people encounter are absolutely harmless.
Cockroaches? I don't really see any evolutionary advantage here.
Wasps? You even can come very close to a wasps' nest without anything happening. This summer I almost stuck my nose into one. Nothing happened.

I am not sure if you have any such phobia, but I have tried to control my emotions about spiders and the best I could do is stay reasonably calm when I was at least 2m away from a giant spider

No real phobia here. I have a deep dislike for mosquitos, though. With good reason, if in a room with other people it seems that I'm always the only one to get stung.


Nice link, BTW. But one thing has to be said about human instincts: the details are largely unknown. There hasn't been enough research yet into the influence of instinct on certain aspects of our life.

[Carlson]

i dont mind any of those... i just dont like anything that could kill me...

[-Rudel-]

I don't mind holding any kind of animal in my hand, so long it is not poisonous.

But, I will admit, if I see a spider creeping along close to me, or when I move boxes around, and one sits there, I will jump back a bit. But that is human instinct. How am I suppose to know it is poisonous or not, until I get a better look. The first thing I see with a quick glance, is 8 legs. After I get a close look at it, I will either pick it up, or just let it be.

I would have to say the same things for snakes. Can't really tell it is poisonous unless you know the characterisitics. Diamond shaped head, slit eyes (like cats) etc etc.

Other than that, I have no problems with being scared.