The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-12
EXPERT Tells
WHY PEOPLE
FEAR SNAKES
Dread Of Reptiles Due TO Early
Experience of the Race,
He Says.


Is the fact that most of us are ln-
stinctlvcly afraid OF snnkes-cvcn oil
the harmless klnds-an evidence that
the human race originated on the con-
tinent Of Asia. where sorpents of all
sorts have always been abundant and
generally venomous?
This adherence Of serpcnts Is really
deep seated animal instinct, which
has survived long after the conditions
that gave 1t origin. says Science,
Rational persons who are informed
on the subject know that the great
majority Of the snakes to be encnun-
tered in this country are entirely
harmless, being without venom or
fangs; and. indeed, the writer has de-
termined. to his own satisfaction at
least. that in this particular region
the only one of the snake family that
is n menace to human life Is the now
rarely encountered Crotalus hOrridus
using the term in generic sense.
And yet, any intelligent person when
unexpectedly brought into close nrox-
unity to any kind Of a snake. large or
small. vennmous or non-venomous. or
even semhlanCe of n snake, Is sud-
denly seized by panic Of horror and
fear, with an impulse to spring away
out OF the serpent's reach AS quickly
as nossihlc In sort OF blind terror,
The probable origin Of this instInc-
tive horror of serpents that still dom
mates the mind of civilized man was
during the countless generations when
early man was slowly climbing un
from his animal ancestry to his pres.
ent cmtnence as Homo saplens. Being
without fire and without clothing or
shelter, he was peculiarly defenseless
in an environment beset by deadly
serpents. against this, probably the
greatest danger and greatest menace
to racial survival that he had to en-
counter. Hence his instructive horror
of the serpent form.
The idea that India was the Cradle"
OF the white race atleast, with its SER
pent environment threatening racial
existence for q very long period of its
primitive development, appears to re-
cetve some degree Of confirmation
from the fact that among the inhab-
itants OF India at the present time
the annual mortality from attacks OF
serpents exceeds 10000, notwlthstand-
ing the efforts of the British authors
ties to suppress the evil.
The serpent instinct in man has q
close analogy in n similar instinct
that characterizes the domestic horse
of the present time, to which allusion
has been made by writer's on the sub
iect. 1t isaa familiar fact to every
one who has to do with horses, the
pr0neness of the horse to exhibit an
insane and uncomfortable fear of any
unfamiliar waysIde object. Indeed,
the phenomenon is such common
place that probably very few persons
have given a thought i'll explanation
of what appears to be a wholly unac-
c0untnhle mystery.
The suggestion that has been offered
with compelling force to account for
this curious horse instinct is on paral-
lei lines with that offered above to ac-
count for mans serpent instinct. both
OF which in the nature of animal in
stincts are intense and deep seated,
and have long survived the conditions
that gave rise to them.
In the case of the horse, for a very
long period OF his racial development
he was subjected to one danger ex-
ceeding all others in magnitude by
which survival was constantly threat
ened. This danger was embodied in
the predactous beasts that infested the
horses early environment, mainly of
the feline family that lay in wait con-
cealed by bushes or other cover for
the opportunity TO spring upon him
and devour him. The horse had no
means Of defense against this danger
except alertness In GLIDING the spring
OF his enemy and fleetness OF foot to
escape pursuit. The individual horses
that developed these qualities most
highly survived. while those that
failed to reach an efficient standard
fell victims to their enemies.
And we now see. thousands Of years
after the domesticatton OF tho horse,
that he suddenly falls into senseless
panic and fees at breakneck speed
from an imaginary danger behind him
needless Of real dangers ahead which
not infrequently cause him a broken
neck.
The instructive fear OF imaginary
dangers in the horse, and the same
kind of fear of serpents in man. APP
pear to have had similar genesis In
the carly experiences of both races.