Creatures That Send Us Running
Most animals are harmless, but that doesn’t stop many of us from developing irrational fears of them. From spiders to snakes, there are certain creatures we’d never dare go near. Here are five of the most common animal phobias—and one of them might even surprise you.
1. Arachnophobia
Unless you live in parts of the world where spiders as big as your hands exist, the ones you'll most commonly encounter will be around the size of a quarter. And yet, despite being relatively tiny, these eight-legged creepy crawlies spike fear in many people. In fact, 3-15% of the world's population has arachnophobia.
2. Entomophobia
A step above arachnophobia is entomophobia, which is an irrational fear of insects. That means you'll get anxious no matter what insect you encounter, whether they crawl or fly. While it's not known exactly how many people have this phobia, it is extremely common.
3. Ophidiophobia
If you're scared of snakes, you have ophidiophobia. And this fear shouldn't come as a surprise, given that most people are afraid of these reptiles because they may be poisonous. Even with harmless species, the way they slither and hiss can spike anxiety in many people.
4. Ornithophobia
Ornithophobia is the fear of birds. For those living with this phobia, these flying creatures aren’t seen as harmless animals but as unpredictable predators. The fear is often reinforced by the fact that some bird species do dive at or attack humans when threatened, making this phobia feel all the more valid and difficult to shake.
5. Cynophobia
Do you own a pooch at home? While it might sound surprising, some people actually have cynophobia—a fear of dogs. This phobia often stems from a bad experience with a pup, as not all dogs are always nice and friendly. As it turns out, the animal commonly labeled "man's best friend" isn't everyone's favorite companion.
