Do you fear any creatures? Which ones and why?
By pandaeyes
@pandaeyes (2065)
February 12, 2010 7:18am CST
I am not really afraid of very many animals.
This morning I was watching the birds flitting about in the hedge outside my kitchen window and I thought of my mum.
She is terrified of birds.
Not just big scary birds of prey but even little chirpy robins and wrens.She hates how they flap.
To me that seems a very odd thing to be afraid of but then I am not very trustful of things,like snakes and if I saw one , I would probably go indoors and wait for it to be gone.Not screaming and shaking afraid, just watching and thinking- wary.
Many people are afraid of Moths or Spiders , I used to be when I was small but we had a cold dark stairway to climb to get to our flat(apartment) and it was always full of them so eventually I got used to them and now can quite happily pick them up and put them outside.
What creatures are you most worried about?
Is it a big fear like my mother's about birds or just a little bit wary like me and snakes?
6 people like this
23 responses
@albto_568 (1268)
• Costa Rica
12 Feb 10
Hi, I do not know if it fear the correct way to call it, but I can´t stand a cockroach in my bedroom when I am going to sleep. I believe it is a mix of disgust, and fear maybe, but the most important, I hate the felling of their legs on me.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
12 Feb 10
Bleh yeah cockroaches are yuck.
We don seem to have them much here,maybe the cat gets to them first.
Don't know but I have hardly ever even seen one.
I wonder how heavy they must be if you can feel their little legs scuttling on you
@albto_568 (1268)
• Costa Rica
12 Feb 10
Once, when I was a child, an ugly bug of that, enter through my ear, it was the first time I remember having gone to a hospital, maybe I hae them ever since, you are lucky if you have never seen one. or feel it.
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
12 Feb 10
oh no that must have been so uncomfortable. I suppose it came out quite easily.
I have had my ears filled with water a few times to reduce wax and it is quite a strange sensation but I have never had a creepy crawly in one.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
13 Feb 10
Poisonous snakes, poisonous spiders, boa constrictors, things that can actually hurt me, I'm afraid of. Anything wild, I have a healthy fear that it will bite me so I leave it alone. Even a mouse will bite if cornered.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
13 Feb 10
Wow! That's quite a bite. I wonder what made him do that, too. I've noticed that they freak out if they think they're going to fall or be hurt. Some it's sudden moves, some if they have arthritis hurt when you touch them certain places, but that's the worst bite I've ever heard of. Mine mostly scratch.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
13 Feb 10
My cat bit me quite badly once,right through and out the other side on my hand.
I forgave him .
I have no idea why he did it though as he was just sitting quite happily on my lap one minute.
I think we all will avoid dangerous animals unless we are being complacent.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
14 Feb 10
It was on the bit where my thumb and first finger join so quite a thin area not bony but still quite sore .
Luckily it didn't get infected.
I don't know why he did it but he was forgiven.
@patgalca (18355)
• Orangeville, Ontario
12 Feb 10
I have a great fear and hatred towards mice. I have too many experiences with them that I can't even watch them on television or see them in the pet shop. Gawd! Who wants a mouse for a pet? Ech!
You can read about my experiences with mice here: http://gomestic.com/rural-living/theres-a-mouse-in-the-house/
More has happened since then - live mouse caught in a trap shaking it up in our cupboard trying to escape. Sent the whole family screaming from the room, several times.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
12 Feb 10
Oh my goodness, I 'm sorry to say that the thought of the whole family running screaming did make me smile. I cant help my evil side and I do know what its like to run away in terror as I was chased by an angry dog once,so I am ashamed to laugh.
It is the thought of such a little thing being worrying I suppose.
I really don't mind mice or rodents but I would certainly shoot out of the door if there was a tarantula ticking his way across the floor on his hairy legs and they are no bigger are they?
One of the men at work used to keep cockatiels . He had two and one morning he came in all flustered and pale and we said 'what happened you look worn out'!
He said his birds got all muddled up in a reel of cotton on top of the kitchen cupboard,every time he tried to free them they pecked and pecked him but he couldn't leave them like it because the cotton was twisted tight and he thought they would be killed trying to get free.
@patgalca (18355)
• Orangeville, Ontario
12 Feb 10
I know it's pretty funny. We were screaming and laughing at the same time. What is funnier though is that my husband is also afraid of them so he called a neighbour. Of course that neighbour that it was pretty funny too.
I've also had incidences with racoons and squirrels. My racoon story is also written up on Triond. If you want the link let me know. It is quite entertaining, as well as informative.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
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12 Feb 10
I liked your mouse article.
Our neighbors neighbor saw a slug on her patio and was completely freaked out by it,she and my neighbor picked it up in a shovel and flung it in the bushes eventually.
I found it very hard not to laugh out at the sight of it.
I suppose it is the size that makes it funny.
I'm sure if it had been a rhinoceros I would have been indoors with the locks tight shut but a slug cant even run.
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
24 Feb 10
Its strange how we can be afraid of such little things isn't it?
I think I don't mind insects unless they are poisonous.
Sharp teeth are fine so long as they are not stuck in me somewhere.
My gerbils could bite quite hard and our rabbit was very scrabbly if you picked her up a bit awkwardly.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
15 Feb 10
I don't like mice, not one little bit. I think that a big part of the reason that I am afraid of them is because I'm afraid that they are going to get me because when I was in college we had to do surgery on mice in my physiology class and I think that they are all out to get me after that. I completely acknowledge the fact that it is an unfounded fear, but it is something that I've never been able to get over since then.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
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15 Feb 10
I think it was maybe a traumatic thing to have to do.
I am lucky that in school we did not need to dissect anything in science class.
Once a teacher disemboweled a rabbit in front of us and several people would not stay in the room to watch. It was specially bred for the purpose of course and not alive but still.
I often wonder if animals in children s stories are to help alleviate fears.
@melloncollie (661)
• Philippines
1 Mar 10
The term for me is not really frightened. More of disgusted. I can touch anything except a house rat. Filthy scavengers. I really don't like them. Just seeing their tails make me shiver in disgust and really makes me want to throw up. One time I was driving in an alley when a huge house rat crossed. It was so huge that it almost looked the same size as a cheshire. I have no problems with snakes. I go hike and camp all the time. When we are running out of rations, we just feast on them just to survive the rest of the climb.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
2 Mar 10
I think that wild rats are quite creepy too.
I'm not afraid of them but would want to get them out if we had one at home.
Luckily ,so would the cat.
We only once had a mouse in pre-cat days and we lured it out at night with a piece of chocolate in a trap.
I hate to kill things but there is always a risk of gnawed wires which could cause a fire and that would be a lot bigger price to pay in the end.
@DeenaD (2684)
• United States
12 Feb 10
I really fear bears. This is because we live in an area where we are surrounded by a lot of woods, and sometimes bears come looking for food. They will sometimes knock over garbage cans and look for food. This frightens me because I have a young child who plays outside.
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
12 Feb 10
yes they are quite big and strong aren't they.
I think they would only attack in fear though like most animals and even people. It is more about instinct than anger.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
14 Feb 10
I am not afraid of small creature but I would be very stupid not to be afraid of large wild animals or poisonous snakes.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
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14 Feb 10
I think for me it is about danger first rather than size,I really don't mind quite big animals but if I know they can really do harm like a tarantula, it would take some persuading for me to approach one.
@CRIVAS (1815)
• Canada
12 Feb 10
I personally am afraid of spiders. I have never liked them and it is a very big fear. If I see a spider while I am doing laundry or whatnot, I will kill it the first chance that I get. If we are outside though, I will just walk as far away from it as possible. Other than spiders, I am also afraid of really big dogs. I know that my friends tend to think my dog fear is a little silly since I have a dog. The only difference is that my dog is very small and won't grow any bigger than what he is right now. I am afraid of big dogs because when I was very young, I was bitten by a big dog. Now If I see a big dog walking down the sidewalk, I will go out of my way to avoid it if I can, I will even cross to the other side of the street.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
12 Feb 10
I was staying at a camp when I was about 18 and there was a spider in the girls tent,they were all cowering up one end so being the 'big girl' I took it in my hands and threw it out the opening. They were all very relieved but I cant really understand it because they were none of them younger than 16 and must lie on the floor of the tent all night to sleep where many other insects will walk in the dark.
My father was in the Army in India when he was a young man,he said that they had metal beds and would stand the bed's legs in tins of paraffin so that the insects wouldn't climb up from the floor,of course the insects may have been more dangerous than we have in England.
@my_name_is_coco (4333)
• Philippines
13 Feb 10
I fear snakes.I don't like how slimy they are.even those harmful snakes,I get paranoid even just by looking at them.I feel like they are going to attack me.I can pick up a spider,but I can't stand even looking at a snake.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
13 Feb 10
Snakes look slimy but feel smooth like shoes.
I think they are pretty to look at but yes I don't want to be around them for too long.
Frogs are the slimy ones,if you pick one up it can easily slip out through your fingers like a wet bar of soap.
@angelajoy (1825)
• Philippines
12 Feb 10
Everyone I'm close to knows what creatures I'm afraid of: dogs. I really can't stand dogs. I think my fear started when I defended my sister from a dog. I was just a little girl then. A dog chased my sister, so I went after my sister and pushed her out of harm's way. It didn't turn out very well for me because the dog chased me instead. I was lucky the dog didn't bite me.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
12 Feb 10
I have been chased by a dog twice.
Once the dog grabbed my arm in its teeth but my sleeve was very thick luckily.
Another time I was just chased as a dog was in the field where I was walking.
I was quite terrified at the time but I am still not afraid of dogs,I think because we had, had one ourselves when I was small.
We have had one as a pet since then .
@monkeylong (3139)
• Guangzhou, China
13 Feb 10
As far as I am concerned, I am usually afraid of the snakes which will give me a deep frighten feeling in my body. When I see the snake is crawling on the road, the feeling of fear can come to me as soon as possible. I will never forget about the feelingg I see the snakes.Maybe it is just because they are crawling on the road ,and the skin of the snakes are so terrible.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
13 Feb 10
Fortunately we don't have a lot of snakes here.
I have only ever seen one in the garden in my whole life.
I have seen plenty at the reptile house at London Zoo though.
They are sort of beautiful but frightening too.
The huge ones that strangle and the little venomous creatures.
@azdolar (28)
• Bulgaria
12 Feb 10
Hah ,
Well actually I'm not afraid of creatures outside my dreams... :D
I used to be scared stiff when I saw a dog barking at me , even if it was the smallest in the whole world. But I've grown up now and that's past.
Now the things I'm scared of are in my nightmares, like various aliens and monsters who want to kill me or something.. :D
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
12 Feb 10
I dreamed about a huge alligator swimming under water and swooping up and swallowing a man whole.
That is my sort of creepy animal dream.
After they put the film jaws on television, I was even a bit wary about the water in the bath .
@VinceTherese (2)
•
13 Feb 10
Hi, the answers to your questions are:
1. Like us we are scared of harmful creatures. Me I am scared of bats, spider and crocodile and a alligator.
2. No. Because it is very natural if people get scared of something. So everything is a natural.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
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13 Feb 10
Are bats harmful? I suppose it depends what kind of Bat.
We have them here and they fly about at dusk which I love.
You can see them in the light from the window and I think they are there because the insects are collecting around the light as bats cant actually see.
Definitely I think the big reptiles are frightening,they look so heavy and harmless don't they and then you see them in action.
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
12 Feb 10
I'm not afraid of most animals, especially from having lived on a farm. (Large animals don't scare me.) I do have a problem with birds. When I was little my grandmother kept these large geese and chickens on the farm here. I remember running away several times with geese chasing me and biting my little legs lol. Then the chickens in the barn would always fly at me and flap and peck. When my one daughter had a parakeet when she was little, it'd always peck me hard enough to draw blood, and since then I have hated being around birds. Far enough away to watch? Sure, I enjoy that, just don't get me close lol. I fear snakes too. Not all of them, but we do have water moccasins and rattlers, so I pretty much watch where I walk and avoid snakes too.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
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12 Feb 10
WE were visiting a windmill once with a farm attached,there was a picnic ground and chickens roaming around.
One little boy who was maybe 4 years old was victimized by the cockerel it came right at him trying to peck his face and it wouldn't back off .
The father picked his son up and kicked the cockerel hard and it still was attacking.
The farmer took the cockerel into the shed and wrung its neck at once.
I always wonder if that child ever went near chickens again.
@derek_a (10874)
•
12 Feb 10
No I am not afraid of any animals, but I do respect them, especially if they can do harm. A friend of mine is terrified of spiders so much so that she can't even stay in the same room if there is a spider in there. I have a special trap that I use to remove them, because they are so delicate and can be seriously injured if I pick them up with my hands. I also used to know someone who was terrified of birds, even little sparrows! But I don't judge people as the mind is very powerful and when we have a phobia or fear, it can feel like a real threat.. 
_Derek
_Derek1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
•
12 Feb 10
Yes that's true, maybe respect is a better word for what I think about snakes.
I have only ever seen one ever in the wild and I think it was probably just a grass snake which are harmless. We have adders here which are poisonous if they bite but I have never seen one only pictures.
There are slow worms which are a sort of legless lizard that have beautiful eyes.
My cat likes them and wont let them alone . I put them in the compost heap if I find one as they are good for keeping down the slugs in the vegetable garden.
I'm glad I don't live where there are big mammals though like bears or Lions.
The biggest wild thing near us is probably foxes.
1 person likes this
@Bionicman (3958)
• Czech Republic
12 Feb 10
No animal scares me.
OK, no animal that I could meet in daily life. I would be terrified to stand face to face with, let's say, wild lion.
And giant centipede gives me the creeps.
1 person likes this
@pandaeyes (2065)
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12 Feb 10
mm all those tickly little legs ,me too.
AS for a lion I wouldn't stand around long enough to stare.
@itzmee1009 (362)
• Australia
13 Feb 10
hi friend...to be frank...i afraid of all the animals..i love them only at zoo..to specify in paricular..i am too afraid of creatures like cockcroach,lizards..
@pandaeyes (2065)
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13 Feb 10
Well maybe it is more a healthy respect than a fear.
I don't blame you for disliking cockroaches.
Lizards will eat insects I think that that is a good thing.
@alinka (184)
• Greece
13 Feb 10
Yes i do have a small list with creatures im afraid of,like spiders snakes but my bigest fear is for sloths.Them mammals really scares me and im thinking is especially because of the way they're moving.I know they're the most lazy animals but i guess that this quality and adding their look makes a good definition for me for what it means a spooky creature.
@pandaeyes (2065)
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13 Feb 10
That's an unusual one to mention.
We don't have anything like that here.
I cant imagine what they could do to a person except maybe fall asleep on you LOL
@quackercon (9)
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13 Feb 10
It's not really a fear per se but i think both spiders and scorpions are very weird. they are so far removed from human beings. animals such as bears and snakes at least have human eyes.
@pandaeyes (2065)
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13 Feb 10
Yes scorpions are very strange aren't they but I kind of like their individualism too, I still wouldn't want to be stung by one though.
