Tell me if this isnt recognition

[snakehunter]

I was away at Virginia Tech this weekend so i was not able to tend to fark's sheding needs, so i had my mom do the soaking and stuff.

No matter what my mom did farkus curled into a tight ball, as soon as she took her out of the cage she curled, when she put her in the rubbermaid to saok she curled, when she applied her meds she curled into a ball. so the point in question is that farkus has NEVER curled into a ball, and is almost never held by anyone else other than myself, i do all the soak etc., and as soon as someone else tries to do that stuff she gets scared............do you think my snake recognizes me?

-Jacob

[tHeGiNo]

He has likely associated your smell with being safe, yes.

[Invictus]

Ball pythons are exceptionally timid snakes. Anything new - new environment, new handler, new anything - will usually cause them to have a very shy response. It's entirely possible that your scent is now associated with safety, as Gino said.

[sapphire_moon]

i never thought of that.......that is a type of recognition isn't it? They recognise the smell and associate it with safety.

[daver676]

Sophia seems to recognize me as well. When I'm doing something in her enclosure (changing water etc.) she'll come out and investigate, and usually try to crawl up my arm (probably trying to escape), but if anyone else goes in there, she stays put. Coincidence?

[tHeGiNo]

Basically, everytime you open their cage, they smell you. If you don't harm or scare them, over time they will remember this. Thus, they will not consider you a threat.

[SerpentLust]

Hahaha yeah that happened with myself and my father with Montey...

I have always handled my Spotted and so she now associates me as her safe owner type person. The first time my dad tried to feed her, he used bare hands and of course she bit his thumb. I grabbed his arm before he could jerk away and hurt my snake and she let go when she realized it wasn't food. But now, everytime dad visits or goes near the cage, she defensive, she sometimes even snaps at the glass! lol

That is the PERFECT snake :D Very good taste

Jenn

[sapphire_moon]

soooooooo...........they develop a TYPE of trust basicly?

[snakehunter]

Yeah, i think that sums it up

[Invictus]

Type nuthin'... it is a trust. Take my 9 foot boa constrictor for instance. Her first owners abused and neglected her. She went to a buddy of mine for several years, and it took him quite some time to get her the point where she wasn't a psycho, but he did do it. She was a puppy to him. But, he had to give her away, so she came to me, and guess what? PSYCHO. But, in recent weeks, she has tamed right down, because she now knows that Erin and I are not threats.... so it's totally about the trust.

[marisa]

They can use the sense of smell for "trusting" someone the same as they use it for anything else. Using it to know us from a friend or foe is the same as how the use it to decide they want to refuse rats. They condition their reaction to smells...mouse smell...mmm eat....you smell....not a threat but bugging me. LOL. :D

Marisa