Does anyone know if snakes can distinguish their owner and if they act any different towards them than other people?
i think most people will say no. but i think some of them do. ive had my rtb since two months of age, and have handled him quite often. he is now about 6 months, and he enjoys(i think) being out n' about with me. ill put him on my granfathers, brothers, sisters, or fathers hand, and he always tries to stretch out to me. this may be because of different temps of our hands, or maybe im just a little more gental with him or something....but in my head....i think he knows who i am....
Yeah you know, same here. I'll give my corn to my sis or other family, and he always tries to come back to me. I always wondered about it. But I really do think he knows who I am.
My wife and I both have our own sets of snakes that we each take care of. So basically, she feeds her snakes, and I feed my snakes. We have both noticed that one of her ball pythons will - very consistently - poke her head out of her hide whenever my wife walks into the room. The snake doesn't have nearly that much of a reaction to me. So yes, at least one of our snakes can tell who is the bringer of food. I don't know if that really addresses your question, though, as it seems more like a Pavlovian response to the vibrations of my wife's footsteps or something. -Imp
This is a pretty interesting thread. I don't have a snake yet, but I plan on getting a corn at some point, with that said here's my take on the idea. I'd assume snakes would be able to differentiate between humans, on a small scale anyway. If the snake was placed in a room with 20 people talking away I would very much doubt that the snake would be able to single out it's 'owner', but in the small scale examples like Ash and gadd have described I'd assume the snake 'knew' its owner and felt more comforatable in thier hands. Since generally the owner has the most interaction with the snake (feeding and handling) I would bet there was some sort of Pavlovian relationship between the 2 (like improvius said). When you take the snake out he smells you, and when you talk to it he will sence your voices vibrations. After enough handling I'd say that a snake woulden't view humans as a direct threat to its existance (this would be giving a snake more credit then fight or flight reactions). Therefore when you take your snake out and give him to your friend to handle, he woulden't attack the friend, but he would be able to differentiate between the 2 humans and knowing that he is being handled by someone with a foreign scent try to make his way back to his owner where it would feel more secure. So yea, I think that a snake would be able to distinguish thier owner on a very small scale. Also I think that the snake would act differently when being handled by its owner as opposed to being handled by someone else, but to what extent I have no idea. Man, now I want to take an animal psych. class.
Their little reptile brains are just so different form ours it hard to tell. My brothers snakes seem to prefer him and mine me but I dont think I would go so far as call it recognition. I know they don't see well, are stone deaf (so the voice thing is a stretch ?) but maybe one smell is more familair than another. Who knows. Actually I just remembered a story from my mom who used to be a vet at the Bronx and a few other zoos. This herpetologist who worked with my mom on a project kept a free roaming 15ft retic (yes bad idea we all know). On New Years Eve he came home with quite a few drinks in him and tripped over a rug in the foyer and hit his head. He woke up to find Betsy (the retic) constricting him. She hadnt done much as he could still breath but he couldnt get her off him. Just as he is about to pass out she gets her head inches from his nose and for some reaon let go of him. He swears she recognized him once she got that close. The great irony is last I heard she was still free roaming the house.
idk but my beardie wont be handled by anyone but me otherwise he flips out i think it would be the same for snakes
When my snake is outside she will follow me and stay about two feet away from me at all times. I guess it's because my smell is known to her and she thinks I'm safe. It doesn't matter if there are people around or not, but if there are she seems more likely to be attached to my hip.
My ball will only deal with me. Everyone else is an enemy. He is the friendliest snake ever to me. I think he's so mellow and sweet. He attacks anything that doesn't smell like me. He tagged my boyfriend 4 times one day, but settled down as soon as I took him. I think it's because he's only dealt with me. I'm the one who's feed him since he hatched, helps him with his shed, and (most importantly) brings his food.
My spotted python (Houdini) always trys to return to me when i let someone else handle him but i'm sure this is because my scent makes him feel safe.
I've had two escapees in the last year, each at different times. I am the only one that handles or feeds them. I even helped deliver 1 of them. Both were found the next morning in my discarded clothes from the day before. I have come to believe that they were frightened and felt safer under/within something with my scent on it. And that, to a degree, they did recognize my scent.
I would have to agree that some snakes do recognise their owners I have a coastal carpet that will only let me handle and feed it, every one else gets bitten and as he is now 8' foot no one is willing to try and hold him anymore, he even wont accept food from anyone else but me, on the other hand though my 2 olives couldnt care less who holds or feeds them, they are comfy with anyone Kiara
I believe that snakes might find our own scent a little comforting to them at times. I am sure they realize we are the ones that feed them etc. I have had my ball python for a long time now, and he defiantely realizes who I am. Other people can hold him, but he doesn't want to stay still. I can grab him and its a whole nother story, he just sits there and squeezes me tight like he doesn't want me too put him down. I don't think the snake will care for me as much as I might him, but he appreciates me. He knows who keeps his water clean, fills his tummy and makes sure he is tucked in a cozy at night. lol us reptile owners are something else aren't we! later
My friend's corns seem to know who feeds them, and his female breeder refuses to let anyone else hold her for more than a few minutes. Of course, his male breeder seemed to love me, but I was then told it was because I'm a girl. He (the snake) liked the space between the two warm lumps on my chest, LOL!
It sounds like a stretch, but my Cali King, E.T., definitely seems to recognize me in comparison to the way she responds to my wife & daughter. reako45
i think mine recognizes me, she is a corn and always tries to get to me. either she loves me or wants to kill me in my sleep. LOL Matt
Judging from what I've read, snakes are very sensitive to vibrations. I do not know if that applies to all vibrations (like a voice) or just to the vibrations of the ground. If this is true then they could probably identify their primary caregiver quite easily. I know my rosy boa tends to stretch toward me when someone else holds him and it happens more often when I am talking (although he really loves my dad because my dad is nice and warm and wears clothes with lots of hiding places and creases to climb against).
i to have notice that with my BP he seems to prefer that i hold him more than others and he does seem to come to me more often. Often when i come in here on the computer he will sit with his head out of his hide and watch me. I do think he recognizes me.
I think they most do on some way or another. I also discovered that they get to know their enclosure really well. I moved her hides around because I cleaned her tank and I was accomodating things a little better, and she went frantic looking ofr her hides in the wrong place. It took her a good 3 hours to trust her hide again, she just kept trying to push the lid of the cage off, good thing we have it secured with a nice bolt.
