Lake Tobias Blog

Fears of snakes, spiders, and other reptiles are very common amongst children and adults. This phobia can potentially keep you or your child from spending time in nature and playing outdoors, both of which have a host of benefits for people of all ages. At Lake Tobias Wildlife Park, we provide guests with numerous interactive attractions.

Raising Awareness about This Fear’s Causes

While everyone is different, there are several causes that could contribute to someone’s fear of reptiles and spiders. At Lake Tobias Wildlife Park, we believe the first step in overcoming this fear is identifying the true cause, which could include common reasons such as:

• Developing the fear from others: At a young age, it is possible to develop a fear of reptiles or spiders from others. If a parent or sibling has this phobia, it may be learned by the child.
• Terrifying encounter: If a bad experience occurs with reptiles or spiders, your or a loved one may associate them with feelings of pain or fear. This is often seen if a child has been bitten by a snake.
• Family history: It is possible that genetics play a role in our development of phobias. Parents could potentially pass their fears onto their children.
• How fear is processed: The way that fear and anxiety are processed will be different for everyone. Because some people are just naturally more anxious, this could be the reason why they develop their phobia of reptiles and spiders.

Overcoming Your Fear at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park

Slowly increasing your exposure to reptiles and spiders can help you overcome your fear. At Lake Tobias Wildlife Park, we offer our guests periodic reptile shows, where they can learn about the animals and access the safe, enjoyable exposure they need to overcome their fears. Another safe way of exposing your child to the animals is by visiting our great reptile and exotic animal exhibit, which features creatures such as:

• Frogs
• Snakes
• Alligators
• Lizards
• Tarantula
  

Visiting this exhibit will allow your child to view these animals in their natural habitat, observe how safe they are, all while keeping an appropriate amount of distance away. Once your child becomes comfortable with this, they may be ready to handle the animals next. Every visit can contribute to your child overcoming their phobia.

Learn More at Our Reptile and Exotic Animal Exhibit

If you or a loved one, especially a child, has a phobia of reptiles and spiders, take the first step toward overcoming this fear at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park. Located in Halifax, Pennsylvania, and serving visitors from Central Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Beyond, we proudly provide the educational, safe attractions that allow you to get up close to reptiles and spiders – and maybe even handle them! View park hours now, or contact us for more information.