And Coral Snakes are thin, have tapering tails, and little distinction between the head and body. Of course, venomous snakes in other parts of the world have other characteristics, and you can't tell by just looking at them whether they are venomous or not. Get a good field guide with color pictures and descriptions of the snakes you are likely to see in an area you plan to explore, and use common sense and good precautions when you are in the field. See also our Venomous Reptiles page. But the simple answer is that people are taught to be afraid of snakes and other things that they don't understand.
People learn to be afraid from seeing the reactions of others or from stories that they have heard.
At the Lizard Lounge, visitors are given the opportunity to learn about these animals and hopefully come to understand them better. Some species, when attacked by a predator such as a fox or coyote, force blood into glands behind the eyes that burst under the pressure and cause a spray of blood droplets to shoot out several inches. The predator often finds this frightening or distasteful and drops the lizard. Only in cartoons. A turtle's shell is made up of bone, parts of which are the flattened ribs and the backbone.