The fear of snakes is called ophidiophobia or ophiophobia, which is a specific phobia or irrational fear of snakes. It is a type of anxiety disorder that can impact a persons life and cause intense fear, panic, or anxiety that is unreasonable and difficult to manage. Ophidiophobia is one of the most commonly reported phobias, with about a third of adult humans being ophidiophobic. People with ophidiophobia may have related phobias, including herpetophobia (fear of reptiles in general) and ranidaphobia (fear of frogs) . The fear of snakes can be caused by negative experiences with snakes in the past, learned behaviors, or evolutionary factors. Symptoms of ophidiophobia include intense anxiety, panic attacks, and avoidance of specific situations. Treatment options for ophidiophobia include therapy, medication, and exposure therapy.