Batraciophobia or Batracophobia is the unhealthy fear of amphibian animals such as toads , salamanders , frogs and newts (eg: Chinhai spiny newt, Montseny newt, Alpine newt).
Necessary clarifications
- Fear: Powerful and primitive human emotion that warns us of the presence of danger and that was essential to keep our ancestors alive.
- Fear is divisible into two groups: biochemical and emotional. The biochemical response (the one that kept our ancestors alive) is universal, while the emotional response is individualized, something like a ‘personal matter’.
- The large number of phobias detected with their corresponding name indicates that human beings are afraid of almost everything.
- The fear of not being able to achieve perfection in actions is called Atellophobia.
- * The “Batraciphobia” (it is not a common phobia, some classify it as “rare” due to the relative little knowledge of its existence).
- This phobia is often confused with the “disgust” or rejection that this same species causes in people, not everyone who does not like amphibians or avoid contact with them is batracophobic. This type of phobia is characterized by the fear of a possible encounter with the species, be it poisonous or not, also by the perception of images or thoughts that involve a batrachian.
Causes
- Having lived a traumatic experience with a batrachian, although there are very few salamanders or poisonous frogs on some occasion, such an encounter can occur, which causes people to instinctively feel afraid of being in the presence of any of these animals.
- The imaginary projection with respect to the form or the sensation to the touch that these species produce.
Symptoms
The most characteristic symptoms are diaphoresis (cold sweat), vertigo, nausea, increased heart rate.
Affectations
Batracophobic people avoid going to places such as savannas, jungles, or humid places, as they are places where these species generally inhabit.