Why the fear?

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I do not understand why the vast majority of people have such a fear of snakes. This is something that absolutely amazes me. The fear and hatred toward such a benificial animal is hard for me to understand. I am not referring to venomous species here, the harmless, everyday backyard snakes that cause such an uproar is what confuses me. I do not remember ever having a fear of snakes. Why do you fear them? Is it simply a matter of fearing what you dont understand?