PMS Helps Woman Spot Snakes In The Wild

For several days each month women become experts at spotting snakes, at least that’s what one group of researchers are claiming after they studied a group of women and their monthly cycles.

According to the research women in the luteal or premenstrual phase of menstruation are quicker at spotting snakes then women who are not in those stages.

It’s believed that menstrual women are better at spotting the snakes because hormones involved in the process influence the amygdala, the part of the brain that handles fear.

Conducted in Japan the study included 60 women who are approximately 30-years-old. Each female was asked to view nine photos, eight which showed flowers and one which showed a snake.

Researchers found that the menstrual women touched the snake 200 milliseconds faster than the non-menstrual groups.

It’s believed that the luteal phase which starts at ovulation leads to quicker response times because women are most fertile at that time and therefore likely have an increased amount of fear helps keep them out of danger.

While the study shows some interesting data points researchers asked women to calculate their cycles based on the date of their last periods. A further study now needs to be conducted in which hormone measurements are used to more accurately determine if women are actually in the luteal stage.

The full study is published in the March 8 edition of the nature journal Scientific Reports.

Are you surprised to learn about women and their potential to more quickly spot snakes when on their period?

[Image via ShutterStock.com]