A study of 250 pet owners, divided into four groups—traditional pet owners (cats, dogs), warm-blooded exotic pet owners (chinchillas, sugar gliders), cold-blooded exotic pet owners (snakes, lizards), and no-pet owners—found that female traditional pet owners scored significantly lower on openness to experience compared to cold-blooded exotic pet owners. The Big Five personality framework was used to assess openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
Openness to Experience: The Defining Trait
Openness to experience is linked to intellectual curiosity and the ability to find things interesting rather than threatening. High scorers seek novel stimuli, tolerate discomfort, and appreciate beauty in unconventional things. This trait strongly correlates with keeping snakes, which are aesthetically complex, behaviorally subtle, and socially unconventional as pets. Choosing a snake requires cognitive flexibility—investing attention in an animal that gives little obvious reward.
Why Snake Videos Captivate Millions
Behavioral scientist Coltan Scrivner at the University of Chicago, USA, studied why people watch snake content. He defines morbid curiosity as interest in information about danger or threats, real or fictional. In a 2021 study published in Personality and Individual Differences, Scrivner developed a Morbid Curiosity Scale with 385 participants. He found that morbid curiosity is not pathological; it is a form of low-cost rehearsal. Watching a snake strike activates the amygdala but provides information without risk. People high in curiosity, comfortable with arousal and uncertainty, are motivated by information-seeking, not avoidance.
What This Reveals About Snake Enthusiasts
Combining these findings, people drawn to snakes—owners or viewers—tend to be higher in openness, more comfortable with avoided stimuli, and driven by curiosity over safety. They tolerate complexity and avoid quick judgments. This does not make them strange but represents a specific cognitive type.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Psychological research reflects broad trends, not fixed characteristics.
