Ball that is like cat

[sapphire_moon]

I have a female ball python and when her back is scratched she archs it like a cat, or a giant inch worm! She has always done this, every since I got here when she was a baby. Does anyone elses ball do this, or any other breed or snake???

I asked someone else before but they basicly told me that snakes don't have feelings and that there was no possible way she could get attached to a person and that there was no possible way she could enjoy being petted. What do you guys/girls think?

[Pixie]

That is peculiar! I and haven't heard of such a behavior in any snake before.

Snakes don't have emotions or develop much attachment to their owner if any except for some form of recognition (smell = safe is my theory).

But from what you say it seems like your snakes enjoys getting her back scratched. I wouldn't think it unrealistic for a snake to "enjoy" a particular activity as they prefer hiding and other things. Although it is "unnatural" for a snake to seem to enjoy having it's back scratched it seems that your snake is different from others and has found a new liking!

When she arches her back, does she make any attempt to get away from the scratching or does she push into it???

Pixie

[Invictus]

Just because snakes don't have emotions doesn't mean they don't have nerve endings. I'd say it's entirely possible for a snake to enjoy a certain type of contact, similarly to how there are some snakes that only like being handled a certain way.

[Jo060]

Hey Hey think of it this way... you have a "special" Snake that has emotions ;)!

[Linds]

Most snakes arch when you touch them, they are either arching into your touch to try and "puff out" because they feel uncomfortable or threatened, or they are moving away from it by arching their muscles away from your hand to try and avoid it. We must never forget when interpretting snakes emotions that they are not people... if they display the same thing that we might, it does not have same meaning. Ball is like Ball... not like cat, even though it kinda looks that way ;)

[sapphire_moon]

She pushes into being scratched. I move her to a 10 gal tank to feed her and she doesn't regurgitate after being fed then handled. I had to move her to a snake bag just the other day because of a bad storm, and she didn't mind. She falls asleep in my lap, and she loves to climb, plus she is very active, and seemingly affectionate???? She pushes her nose against my hands/fingers or leg or where ever she can. She doesn't do this with others.........So do I have a strange snake??? lol

[sapphire_moon]

Well when she pushes into it she just moves her back, she don't hiss or strike (never has) and she don't really move her head, just kind of lays there and pushs her back up.......??????

[Pixie]

If she pushes into it I would think that she likes the sensation :). A snake that didn't like something almost always tries to get away from it.

Count yourself lucky!

Pixie

P.S. Even though she hasn't regurged yet due to being handled soon after being fed doesn't mean it will never happen. It's always best to wait a couple of days after a meal before handling.

[sapphire_moon]

Oh yes! I know. I don't make it a habbit to handle her for longer than 30 seconds after feeding. Only long enough to put her back in her "home" tank. The only reason I had to handle her the other day was because of a storm /tornado warning and we had to get the animals to the basement.

[Linds]

Originally posted by Pixie
If she pushes into it I would think that she likes the sensation :). A snake that didn't like something almost always tries to get away from it.


I'm going to have to disagree. As stated in my above post, quite often when reptiles are arcing into you it is in an attempt to either inflate themselves in an attempt to look larger to ward you off, or to to push you away.

[baller]

My snake arches like yours when I pet his sides.

[balakoth]

Then with that respect Id have to say with your statement I no longer find reptiles to be intelligent.

While I agree with some of your points, I will always refuse to believe "scientific" evidence of animal behavior. Its very common that all scientific findings have either been exagerated and then reaffirmed with a truer meaning in the future, or are blatently wrong.

A mammal or being with a brain is capable of the senses available to it, including touch, sense, sight, smell. All beings either enjoy or act in a defensive/aggressive nature as a response.


While I will never treat an animal in a emotional or physical state as if it were a human being. I find it hard to believe many of the statements made about animals when the only proof we have is of observence. Everyday a past scientific theroy is debunked by newer ones, which will be next?


Just my 2 cents

[sapphire_moon]

Who are you disagreeing with balakoth? And she don't inflate herself, just stretches her back upwards.

[LORI34205]

My 3 and a half foot iguana does it too.
i pet her back and she arches up and stands tall which is usually a defense mechanism.but then she calms down and enjoys it.

[drewlowe]

i don't really agree with that. My beardies love to be rubbed on there head. Maybe it's just the feeling or they have an itch. and i have one leo that if i'm petting her and i stop she walks to me and rubs her head on my hand. she doesn't do it all the time just some of the times. She is the one that always wants out of her cage and when she sees me she climbs to the highest point she can and tries to jump out. LOL she loves her mommy.

[sapphire_moon]

I'm thinking along the same lines.....She doesn't do it all the time. And sometimes she even kind of stretches out and just lays there. I think she goes to sleep. But I can't tell when she's actually asleep because of she has no eyelids to close! lol

[tHeGiNo]

My snake will do that do. My guess is that the snake is nervous and is arching to see what is touching him, whether it is a predator or not. Think about it, a tiny little ball python with a huge human grabbing onto it's back. Wouldn't you be scared?

[sapphire_moon]

she's not that little, she's 37-40 inches. And she has never showed a threatening display before. Never hissed, or struck or puffed, or even went into stike position. She has never displayed anything like that....(and personaly I wouldn't be scared) But she is a calm snake. On the other hand my step dads BP struck at me when I reached in to change his water. came extremly close to actually biting me, that was the last time I took care of his snake for him!

[Invictus]

I'm with Balakoth on this one.

If a snake is capable of interpreting its own senses, it is also capable of enjoying certain stimuli, and disliking other stimuli. Scientists and snake owners alike are pi$$ing into the wind when they attempt to explain snake behavior. All you can do is observe and form a GUESS as to what the snake is interpreting from the stimuli at the time.

Linds, we all respect your opinion here, but you seem to portray snakes as mindless drones who are all cut from the same cloth - ie, because one species arches its back in an attempt to look "puffed up" and intimidating, it must be true of all species. Just because science suggests that snakes merely "tolerate" humans doesn't mean that a snake can't enjoy having its back scratched. For all you know, that BP equates the sensation with the relief it feels after a good shed. You don't know.

You also seem to portray snakes as human haters. In other words, you assume that any behavior is in defense, and any calm behavior is merely tolerance. You refuse to acknowledge the POSSIBILITY that snakes can develop a genuine trust and bond with the humans who tend to their needs. If snakes hate humans so much, then maybe the animal rights activists who are trying to get reptiles banned are absolutely right. We are being cruel by keeping them.

These are just my observances, Linds... I'm not trying to assault you here, nor am I trying to be an anthropomorphist. I know my corns don't "love" me, but they sure exhibit behavior that shows that they do genuinely enjoy certain types of human contact. They have also proven to have a genuine trust for my gf and I. Thus, I say it's possible that sapphire's BP genuinely likes a certain type of contact. At least, I acknowledge that it is POSSIBLE....