Curious...want some experience retic keepers input

[BagnaraSnakes16]

So I have searched online, as well as watched videos on youtube on what exactly makes retics seem more "intelligent" or "inquisitive". Reading didn't really give me a good idea and videos don't really show exactly what you want to know so I'm coming to you guys....From personal experience, what things have you observed in your retics in comparison to other pythons or boas to make them more intelligent or inquisitive....I've also heard they are more people orientated?!? Whatever that means....maybe that they more curious to what we do...? any who...any input is appreciated.

[millertime89]

Examples: I was taking photos in my light tent of my retics this past weekend. One of them found the opening for the camera lens and proceeded to make a bee line for it every chance she got. She remembered where a 4" slit in a 36x36x36 cube was. If it had only happened once or twice after the initial time I would have thought it a fluke. But she tried to escape a total of 9 times in a little over an hour.
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They figure something out and they repeat it. They also seem to be able to recognize individuals. My snakes behave differently when they see me as opposed to another individual. Two associate me with food and always seem to "beg" when I'm around and they haven't eaten in a few days and some are more docile when they're out of their enclosure with me as opposed to another.

[BagnaraSnakes16]

That's awesome thanks. I was hoping more people would be willing to share personal experiences as they seem interesting and funny like yours but oh well.

[MDT]

mine smokes a pipe and reads the WSJ....does calculus on the side.

seriously, i wish i could find a study that compared brain size, lobe development or number of gyri/sulci in retics vs other snakes...

maybe it's the fact that retics are constantly on the move. maybe it's this "exploring" behavior that gives them the appearance of intelligence. My 3 retics never take their eyes off of me when I am in my "snake room"....my 5 carpet pythons are kinda like "eh...I'm just gonna lay here". The retics seem smarter.

[CrotalusR#1]

maybe it's the fact that retics are constantly on the move. maybe it's this "exploring" behavior that gives them the appearance of intelligence

I was going to say the same thing. It dose apear that retics are more inquisitive than other pythons tho. I would say there the Ophiophagus hannah of non venomous as far as being inquisitive and observant.

[BagnaraSnakes16]

lolol to MDT comment. I think study like that would be very interesting. Im going to be a psychologists but unfortunately for this topic...not a neuropsychologists. i would probably ruin anything i tried dissecting lol besides i dont think id have it in me to do that to snakes...humans, who cares hah only kidding.

[Aaron_S]

mine smokes a pipe and reads the WSJ....does calculus on the side.

seriously, i wish i could find a study that compared brain size, lobe development or number of gyri/sulci in retics vs other snakes...

maybe it's the fact that retics are constantly on the move. maybe it's this "exploring" behavior that gives them the appearance of intelligence. My 3 retics never take their eyes off of me when I am in my "snake room"....my 5 carpet pythons are kinda like "eh...I'm just gonna lay here". The retics seem smarter.

Blood pythons do the same. They will keep a watchful eye on you. They are complete ambush predators though so move around far less.

[Tsubaki]

I believe one of my Selayar females was the smartest retic i have ever owned. She understood tap training in about 2 days, was incredibly hard to trick about which window you were going to slide open (she'd come rushing out, Álways) She would also push open up the glass sliders herself, if you did not lock them. And once when she was cruising around the snake room while i cleaned (Someone else watched her) she crawled over to the door and crawled up the door handle causing the door to open. Put her back inside, close the door again.. Within a minute she had found the door handle again! we ended up locking the door :D

Also trying to trick any of my snakes about which side the window is going to open, was harder with retics.. Have to think of something else every now and again, some of them won't be fooled by the same trick too often. My boa's on the other hand, usually did not seem to see through the simple 'hand on one window, slide open the other' trick. Maybe they just cared less, maybe they really are less intelligent.