Fort Smith Times Record
Just the name sends shivers up many people s spines. But a little education can go a long way in protecting yourself and the misunderstood, slithering snake.
Ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes, is listed among the most common fears in America. More than half of the U.S. population is afraid of snakes, according to a 2001 Gallup poll. And a 2013 National Institutes of Health study found that the human brain is evolutionarily conditioned to be afraid of snake-like forms.
Although the notion of a good snake, like the Speckled Kingsnake, is becoming more common because they eat venomous snakes, it is not as commonly accepted in Arkansas that even venomous snakes have their rightful place in the ecosystem.
Hiker escapes from group of rattlesnakes in national forest
Warmer weather is here and that means snakes are out of hibernation, so people are cautioned to watch out for them. Author: Kathryn Gilker Updated: 6:31 PM CST March 11, 2021
NATURAL DAM, Ark. A local man says he stumbled into a wooded area full of rattlesnakes while out on a hike. He says he took a tumble trying to get away.
“It was pretty scary, Stephen Gossow. It was unexpected, and it happened so fast.
Stephen Gossow and his dog were out on a hike north of Natural Dam at the Ozark St. Francis National Forest to celebrate his birthday on Monday (March 8) when he says they encountered rattlesnakes on a bluff.