I think it is more than a notion that humans have instinctual fears of many things, like snakes and spiders as you say but also blood and disfigurement by disease. Similarly many animals have conditioned fears of humans, we can be very dangerous and unnaturally violent, the killer ape.

I feel like the whole danger noodle and whole puppy face love for pythons in the last tenish years has really changed a lot of opinions. Snek adorbs, as they say.

And spiders have also been getting better light with at least a lot of people finding jumping spiders adorable.

I sort of like snakes, but am hesitant to handle them because 1) they’re wild creatures and therefore unpredictable and 2) I heard that they will poo on you if they’re alarmed. I don’t need that. It’s more practical than visceral.

Spiders? Hell no. It’s not even an option.

Most people I know fall on either one side or the other. It’s not a bad ice-breaker or conversation starter.

The venom is secondary. The primary reason is that our sleeping state provides the conditions of a good sanctuary for them, so they often get close in order to rest or nest and everyone gets spooked once we wake up.

To snakes, we’re warm and provide shelter.

To spiders, our open mouths, ears or even nose are hidey-holes that provide near perfect conditions for them to rest in or ambush prey.

Which is why waking up and finding them around is very traumatizing and often startles them into retaliating for self-defense.