Scientists from Pechsky University, led by Andras Zido, conducted a study that revealed how people's perception of snakes changes depending on their habitat. It was found that snakes in an urban environment are perceived by humans as more repulsive and dangerous compared to the same animals in natural settings.
As part of this study, whose results were published in Royal Society Open Science, 500 adult residents of Hungary participated, forming a representative group. Participants were asked to view various photographs featuring snakes and then provide an assessment.
The assessments were made across several parameters: participants indicated the level of threat and degree of disgust of the snake on a scale of one to seven, determined the overall impression of the photo as positive or negative, and reported their willingness to approach the animal.
The results showed that snakes presented in an urban setting evoked more negative associations in people, appeared more threatening and repulsive than snakes photographed in a natural environment, whether on trees or among grass. Nevertheless, the level of willingness to approach the snakes remained low regardless of whether the snake was in the city or in nature.
