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View Full Version : help settle a debate. do snakes have personalities?


Stormy Night
05-05-11, 05:48 PM
so i know this guy. I get my rats from him. besides being a rat breeder he has over 150 BP's ( not counting all the clutches he has right now), carpets, 30+ corns. so i said something about likeing the personality of my snake, that when i open their cabinet enclosure they dont try to escape, they want to climb on me, And that when i lay down on my bed i can put the snake on the bed and it will come curl up on my stomach by its own choice. So heres the debate. HE says snakes dont have personalities and they dont think like that. that they are 100% instinctual and only sit on me for warmth. NOT because they like me or anyone else. I live in Fl...its freaking HOT all over. its not like they need to chase me down for heat. I can sit outside in the shade and let my guys play in the sunny grass and most of them will crawl back over to me and climb on me. the sun is hotter than i am...again i dont see the "only for warmth "thing. my snakes all perk up when i walk into the room. even two days after they ate...so i doubt its a hunger responce. They wouldnt eat if i tried to feed them again so soon. SO. snakes: personality or nothing but an instinctual machine not capable of thinking beyond food and warmth?

marvelfreak
05-05-11, 05:58 PM
Could be security. You feed, them handle, and clean up their poo. Outside of their cage you are the one thing they associated with being safe and not out to hurt them. This is just my opinion.

RandyRhoads
05-05-11, 06:06 PM
Well mine seem to have "personalities" as they act and react different than one another. Does that mean ithey're still not just acting on instinct, but each is different? I don't know. Maybe personality isn't the right word to use....

infernalis
05-05-11, 06:37 PM
We as people tend to describe the snakes individual mannerisms as a personality.

"Cranky snakes" - My favourite "personality"

Docile snakes = "Mellow personality"

It's all figurative.

So yes, even the most logical thinkers refer to a snakes behaviour around it's keepers as a "personality"

LLinz
05-05-11, 06:39 PM
They absolutly have different preferences and behaviours, my BP will bump my hand and climb up my arm, whether he's in shed, just ate, or was curled up in one of his hides, at any time during the day or night that I go into his tank. Its not like a friendship or anything, he is just very curious and likes doing house work while draped around my arm and down my back lol

RandyRhoads
05-05-11, 06:41 PM
We as people tend to describe the snakes individual mannerisms as a personality.

"Cranky snakes" - My favourite "personality"

Docile snakes = "Mellow personality"

It's all figurative.

So yes, even the most logical thinkers refer to a snakes behaviour around it's keepers as a "personality"


Then I guess that means clearly they do have "personalities"...?

infernalis
05-05-11, 06:44 PM
The beautiful thing about the word "personality" is the defenition...

the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others, an embodiment of a collection of qualities & the organized pattern of behavioral characteristics of the individual.

so the answer is a resounding yes.. snakes have personalities.

RandyRhoads
05-05-11, 06:46 PM
What about memory, or emotions, like prefering their owner rather than a stranger handling?

infernalis
05-05-11, 06:49 PM
Not that I wish to get shot down by an "armature snake psychologists" but I swear that some of my snakes "know" when I am going to feed them, and will pace the cage when I am feeding other snakes.. so I leave interpretation to you... ;)

Stormy Night
05-05-11, 06:50 PM
exactly. Its not like my snakes crack awesome jokes or mix a mean rum and coke. But they absolutly have different....mannerisms. Mine appear to like being held or i could just let them sit in their enclosures all the time if it didnt matter. Anoter issue i had is i adopted a pair of Balls a couple years ago and they came together, as in the same tank. I take them both out of the tank and they stay right next to each other. we go outside and still, its like one snake with 2 heads. in the huge cabinet they live in they ball up around each other and sleep under the same plants...one gets a drink the other follows. i said soimething about splitting them up because i know snakes are solitary creatures but i felt bad because they generally seem to like each others company. So i probably wasnt going to. He says that they are competing for the best spot in the enclosure. that they follow one another to make sure one doesnt find food first. And it will stress out the less dominant one...theyve been together for the two years that ive had them and for the 5 years someone else did. Im not sure if they are egg mates but they are the same size. Ive never had a sick snake so im not worried much about one getting sick and the other catching it. they are both exposed to the same things and enviroment anyway.

RandyRhoads
05-05-11, 06:53 PM
exactly. Its not like my snakes crack awesome jokes or mix a mean rum and coke. .
If they could there would be alot more people with snakes, I know i'd have more....

Stormy Night
05-05-11, 06:55 PM
hell yea! id be more surrounded than i already am....and drunk..and laughing

infernalis
05-05-11, 06:56 PM
In my living room there is a tank set up that had a pair of male garter snakes in it for the last 5 years, One of them has now recently passed away from old age, the other now sits and waits a whole lot more than he ever used to.

I could see those two chasing each other around in there all the time....

I can't honestly say "spot" is bummed out, but he does not seem nearly as active anymore, and I honestly miss seeing those two move around like they used to.

NennaMeerkat
05-05-11, 06:56 PM
If they could there would be alot more people with snakes, I know i'd have more....

You and me both Randy. And it would be awesome to see as well! Could you imagine one large snake handling the rum, coke, glass, and ice all at the same time in various coils?

RandyRhoads
05-05-11, 07:00 PM
You and me both Randy. And it would be awesome to see as well! Could you imagine one large snake handling the rum, coke, glass, and ice all at the same time in various coils?



Hahaha yes I can.


Reminds me of my last feed for my RTB. She killed 3 large rats and had them all in different coils while climbing out of the tub. Like she was storing them and taking them home for later.

mykee
05-05-11, 07:28 PM
He's correct.
Look up "Anthropomorphism".
You show classic symptoms.
Sorry.....

Stormy Night
05-05-11, 08:20 PM
nothing to be sorry about. i was curious. i just like debating with the guy.

Stormy Night
05-05-11, 08:20 PM
hes old and he gets flustered...its cute

infernalis
05-05-11, 08:55 PM
hes old and he gets flustered...its cute

Who ya referring to:rolleyes:

sickvenom
05-05-11, 09:02 PM
remember when mistersprinkles tried to argue with me and claim that snakes couldn't 'think? what a goofball.

natsamjosh
05-05-11, 09:05 PM
It's sort of a pointless discussion, because there's no way to know what's going inside the mind/brain of a snake. Anyone with a strong opinion that snakes operate "only on instinct" is being silly, because again, there's no way to know. Being blindly anti-anthropomorphic might be just as silly as being blindly anthropomorphic. What exactly does that mean anyway, acting "only on instinct?" I have an indigo snake, and for what it's worth, I feel very confident he "knows" me very well and can recognize me. And I'm also of the opinion that there is a lot more going on in the minds of snakes (as well as most other animals) than we humans believe. Can I prove that? No. Just my feeling based on personal experience.

thanks,
Ed

infernalis
05-05-11, 09:26 PM
remember when mistersprinkles tried to argue with me and claim that snakes couldn't 'think? what a goofball.

Duh, if they cannot think, then the whole scent conditioning scheme is a hoax:eek:

sickvenom
05-05-11, 09:45 PM
Duh, if they cannot think, then the whole scent conditioning scheme is a hoax:eek:

i know!! i think mistersprinkles was just trying to goad me on. :eek:

infernalis
05-05-11, 09:48 PM
i know!! i think mistersprinkles was just trying to goad me on. :eek:

Ive seen a bit of that over the last couple days...

sickvenom
05-05-11, 09:52 PM
Ive seen a bit of that over the last couple days...

oh yes. :crazy2:

Stormy Night
05-05-11, 09:54 PM
Thats why its called a debate nat. In the back ground right now i here ppl on tv talking about the zillion billion millions of galaxys there are and how many billions of light years they are away from us, and the chances of life on other planets...most of it is built on theory. They debate to ponder and learn new things they havent though of before. so it may be a pointless unprovable topic to you but i enjoy hearing the ideas and opinions of others. hence why i joined a forum.

@ infern, Just a guy named mike that lives a couple miles away from me.

infernalis
05-05-11, 09:57 PM
hes old and he gets flustered...its cute

aha, the dude from your first post.. it's too easy to lose context in a forum conversation,

sickvenom
05-05-11, 10:08 PM
Thats why its called a debate nat. In the back ground right now i here ppl on tv talking about the zillion billion millions of galaxys there are and how many billions of light years they are away from us, and the chances of life on other planets...most of it is built on theory. They debate to ponder and learn new things they havent though of before. so it may be a pointless unprovable topic to you but i enjoy hearing the ideas and opinions of others. hence why i joined a forum.

this place is just odd. you give advice or correct misinformation and people jump your a$$! you either get called mean or a know-it-all. trust me, i'd love to be a know-it-all!!!! and now there's one member here who basically wants you to post your entire god damn resume with every single post.

Damion930
05-05-11, 10:21 PM
Lol sickvenom you crack me up are you qualified to make that statment lol

infernalis
05-05-11, 10:29 PM
Lol sickvenom you crack me up are you qualified to make that statment lol

who's qualified to make any statement? ;)

sickvenom
05-05-11, 10:29 PM
Lol sickvenom you crack me up

i try.

are you qualified to make that statment lol

would you like to see my passport and green card?

Stormy Night
05-05-11, 10:32 PM
lol. im used to having to explain who, what, when, where, why i do what i do. I am 100%ok with people thinking im mean. They can jump my A$$ all they want...but i charge by the minute..

sickvenom
05-05-11, 10:35 PM
lol. im used to having to explain who, what, when, where, why i do what i do. I am 100%ok with people thinking im mean.

i just assume that everyone knows i'm kind of a big deal.

They can jump my A$$ all they want...but i charge by the minute..

how much? i have $.90 in dimes.

infernalis
05-05-11, 10:38 PM
i just assume that everyone knows i'm kind of a big deal..

no not really...:crazy2:

natsamjosh
05-06-11, 05:54 AM
Thats why its called a debate nat. In the back ground right now i here ppl on tv talking about the zillion billion millions of galaxys there are and how many billions of light years they are away from us, and the chances of life on other planets...most of it is built on theory. They debate to ponder and learn new things they havent though of before. so it may be a pointless unprovable topic to you but i enjoy hearing the ideas and opinions of others. hence why i joined a forum.


Wow, thanks for this *pointless* response. :)

Go ahead, keep debating it, you're entitled to discuss whatever you want. I'll bow out now. But when your snake talks to you and you get a definitive answer, let me know. Hey, and maybe when your snake does talk to you, you can debate with him whether God exists or not.

Geez, some people are way too sensitive...

Lankyrob
05-06-11, 06:27 AM
In terms of snakes "knowing" their owners i would say yes - they associate us with food, security, water etc and i believe they learn to "trust" us to not hurt them. The reason they react differently to a stranger is that they have nothing to associate their scent with.

So my response would be that they react to situations by instinct but can learn that certain people are "trustworthy" and so their instinctive response is to want to be near them for that food, water, confort and security.

Stormy Night
05-06-11, 11:27 AM
Wow, thanks for this *pointless* response.



Go ahead, keep debating it, you're entitled to discuss whatever you want. I'll bow out now. But when your snake talks to you and you get a definitive answer, let me know. Hey, and maybe when your snake does talk to you, you can debate with him whether God exists or not.



Geez, some people are way too sensitive...



....ok...I fail to see my sensativity. I was talking...not crying. And wtf are you talking about my snakes talking to me?.....I said they can recognize me. They know when I walk into the room vs when my husband does. I'm the food bringer. I'm not having religious debates and playing poker with them...perhapse you are confused as to what I was talking about.
-SN

mistersprinkles
05-06-11, 12:04 PM
A snake has no more personality than a CPU.
I know a guy who has an i7 950 CPU that will do 4Ghz on 1.27 volts.

Mine will do 4Ghz on 1.31 volts. (Mine is an inferior specimen).

Do they have personalities? You could say that they do. Even though they were both made in the same factory, the batch that his came from is 'willing' to perform at 4Ghz with only 1.27 volts, whereas mine needs 1.31v to be coaxed into the same behavior.

One snake eats more readily than the other. One is more likely to bite than the other. One is more likely to attempt to escape.

Does that mean they have personalities?

I've been keeping reptiles since forever, and have yet to witness anything that I would consider intelligent. Parrots have personalities. More than a dog. They are inquisitive, pick locks, learn to speak and have conversations, enjoy torturing dogs.

Snakes, lizards, turtles, no. They literally don't have the brain cells for it. Anything you can actually call a personality trait is in your grey matter. Reptiles don't have any.

YouTube - Snowball (TM) - Our Dancing Cockatoo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IZmRnAo6s)

YouTube - Parrot massages cat's head (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yukdsl5O7AI&feature=related)

YouTube - Coco and Lucky hanging out on couch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI3yD3L1R5Y&feature=relmfu)

Parrot sees dancing, dances, parrot sees people pet cat, pets cat. That's a smart animal with a personality :).

infernalis
05-06-11, 01:33 PM
"Personality" is an adjective, a descriptive term, nothing more.. so yes snakes have "personality" because in the English speaking language that adjective can be used to describe the observable trait patterns displayed by any living thing.

"emotion" is also an acceptable to use word in the literal sense that "fear" is classified as an emotion, "Anger" is also classified as an emotion.

I have seen snakes flee, and I have seen pissed off snakes strike out like their lives depended on it.

So in a literal sense both of those words can accurately be used to describe a snake.

now at the same time, do they feel love? doubt it..

do they covet each others possessions? heck yes, they will seek the prime basking spot, and guess what, if it's already in use, they don't just politely ask to share, at mating time males will do whatever it takes to get their genes passed on to the best females.

One thing that sets my little garter snakes apart from almost all others it the stone cold simple fact that the population densities mandate sharing resources, this includes mass denning at the optimal brumation sites and crazy orgies at mating time. This is not displayed by other species.

yyhvBGeKgqk

mistersprinkles
05-07-11, 05:28 PM
"Personality" is an adjective, a descriptive term, nothing more.. so yes snakes have "personality" because in the English speaking language that adjective can be used to describe the observable trait patterns displayed by any living thing.


But then we can say that plants and rocks have personalities. This rock is acidic. This one is basic. This one errodes quickly. This one doesn't. This tree is 'depressed' because it's a weeping willow.

I think we need to look at emotions and personalities here the way that we'd look at them in a higher animal or person. Nobody would deny that different dogs have different personalities, but there's a big difference between a dog and an iguana.

I don't know of any iguanas that will stop an intruder in the home, come every time they're called, bring slippers, sit, stay, heel, jump, fetch, or learn their name :).

infernalis
05-07-11, 08:32 PM
Higher intelligence should not be confused with a descriptive term.

So I ask you why you wish to challenge a dictionary??

I have issues with Merriam Webster myself, but I don't challenge the dictionary.

Noah Webster was a tool for butchering the English language, but what is done is done, we can't go back.

Personality

the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others: He has a pleasing personality.

an embodiment of a collection of qualities

Some snakes are mellow, therefore we can honestly say "mellow personality"

Some snakes are downright cantankerous, so we can honestly say "nasty personality"

Don't try and read into any further.

Coffee Black
05-07-11, 08:52 PM
I often argue with myself about this. I tell myself snakes don't have the capacity for "personalities." Then I name them and call them "shy" or "secretive" and wonder why I do that. I think maybe we give them personalities by the way we define their actions more than they actually have them. I call my new coastal "prissy" because of how she feeds. She strikes the prey, drops it, chases me away with a series of halfhearted lunges and then drags the prey into her hide and devours. I say prissy when I mean she would rather feel secure when eating. But then she has only ever nipped at my fiance. Just today my nephew-in-law(is that a real term?) a 12 year old, held her ( who had never held a snake before!) then my fiance did and then I did. My fiance got bit but no on else did. I did not see anything unusual in the way she held the animal. So what do I call that ? Is biting women handlers part of her " personality?" I don't know.

LLinz
05-08-11, 01:30 AM
This is actually a real good debate.
I say yes. Not in a dog type way, but in a different.
People tend to personify all animals as well as objects though.

infernalis
05-08-11, 07:24 AM
lol. im used to having to explain who, what, when, where, why i do what i do. I am 100%ok with people thinking im mean. They can jump my A$$ all they want...but i charge by the minute..


we demand a refund.:rolleyes:

SPARTAN 77
05-11-11, 04:28 PM
To the Snake owners, their snakes have their own personality. i mean if you like your snake, weather they have personalities or not, your going to imagine or see your snake as having a personality. that's what i think.

Millinex
05-11-11, 04:32 PM
I'm 100% on his side, you are a warm tree to them, nothing more. Snakes do not think or have emotions, just instincts.

-Mike

RandyRhoads
05-11-11, 04:37 PM
As far as Iguanas definately personality there...when I go on vacation and come back, or if I go a few days without petting him he throws a fit like a teenage girl. He will turn his head and close his eyes pretending not to see me. Sometimes he will come to me and climb up me to look in my eyes. If he's hungry sometimes when I come in the room he will come out of his tree and claw at his In-N-Out tray for food signaling he wants food...

Millinex
05-11-11, 04:40 PM
Lizards, specifically tegus and monitors do have more intelligence in my eyes than snakes. I haven't worked with enough iguanas in my life to really say if they have the same intelligence level as the former species though...

-Mike

RandyRhoads
05-11-11, 04:43 PM
I've heard Savs are really smart. My girlfriends is still a baby but it seems really stupid. It runs full speed into the side of his tank all the time. Doesn't seem to know how to kill mice either.

Millinex
05-11-11, 04:58 PM
I've heard Savs are really smart. My girlfriends is still a baby but it seems really stupid. It runs full speed into the side of his tank all the time. Doesn't seem to know how to kill mice either.
My monitors have figured out multiple step problems- climb onto ledge, stick nose through small gap, push open latch, squeeze out and escape.. Mine have found every weakness in their cages, have figured out how to open bins, push things out of their way. If I where to tie a rope to the door knob, and use it to open the door, I'd give it a week before they figured how to open the door on their own to..

My sav is even potty trained, my mangrove is reverse potty trained, and only defecates outside his enclosure onto a towel.

-Mike

infernalis
05-11-11, 06:16 PM
My sav refuses to crap in his own cage.

Guess he hates the smell too.

RandyRhoads
05-11-11, 06:20 PM
My sav refuses to crap in his own cage.

Guess he hates the smell too.


My Iguana only goes in his water bowl.

Coffee Black
05-11-11, 09:00 PM
Our water dragon only goes in her water bowl too. We have been calling it the water BOWEL.

marionsclan
07-16-11, 03:37 AM
I've come across this statement while scanning the net for sources about snakes and emotions and personally I couldn't have said it better as to how I feel about it. Your input is very much appreciated:
__________________________________________________ _______________________
I do not believe that reptiles have COMPLEX emotions with complex motivations like "greed" or "jealousy" ... but I am absolutely positive that they have the basal emotions of "fear" and "contentment".

To be perfectly honest, ALL emotions are hard-wired electrochemical reactions that come from certain parts of the brain. If you have the appropriate part of the brain, you have the capacity to experience the emotion too.

"Fear" as an emotion is one of the absolute most basic and is wired into the very lowest parts of the brain - so anything with a brain stem is likely to feel it. Just because it's an instinctual emotion doesn't mean it's any less an emotion.

Now, what a snake doesn't have is the ability to THINK about its emotions or to rationalise them - it can't think "Oh god, what was that, it could have been a monster!" All it knows is "FEAR! FEAR! ESCAPE!"

I think snakes can also recognise individual owners' scents, and approaching that person may be an expression of contentment/trust - that the snake feels reassured by your presence in the same way that it would feel reassured by seeing a secure hide next to it. I have a number of snakes that "trust" me in the same way - I am their preferred hide when they are not in their vivariums.
__________________
- Ssthisto

kganong
07-16-11, 06:33 AM
snakes have no outer cortex of their brain( the part the is responsible for any type of feeling ex. Love or hate). They only have the inner the cortex that is responsible for instinct. It is impossible for snakes to feel felling witch is really hard to believe because i could swear that my snakes love me but unfortunately is it impossible. They are just coming to you because of heat. IT could also be that they are coming to you because they are checking out the situation. They are (as you probably know) are very curious creatures. The same thing applies if you were to say my snake will not bite me. You do not know that. but like i said earlier it seems really hard to believe because i took my 6 foot boa to the store the other day and even let kids pet her. Its not that they don't bite it that they get used to you and used to being touched but as a final answer -- the person who told you that is correct to some extent i personally think that they have personalities because i love my snakes and it seems like they do because some of them are more lazy than others and some of them are snappier than others but that's only because i handle some of them more often than others. so personalities yes i think but love or any feeling no they are not capable

marionsclan
07-17-11, 02:36 AM
Here is an excerpt explaining the Reptilian Brain which is the first brain that existed (Evolution added two more brains, surrounding the Reptilian Brain, to Humans which makes them intellectually superior to animals/reptiles):
__________________________________________________ ________________________

The brain stem is the oldest and smallest region in the evolving human brain. It evolved hundreds of millions of years ago and is more like the entire brain of present-day reptiles. For this reason, it is often called the 'reptilian brain'. Various clumps of cells in the brain stem determine the brain's general level of alertness and regulate the vegetative processes of the body such as breathing and heartbeat.

It's similar to the brain possessed by the hardy reptiles that preceded mammals, roughly 200 million years ago. It's 'preverbal', but controls life functions such as autonomic brain, breathing, heart rate and the fight or flight mechanism. Lacking language, its impulses are instinctual and ritualistic. It's concerned with fundamental needs such as survival, physical maintenance, hoarding, dominance, preening and mating. It is also found in lower life forms such as lizards, crocodiles and birds. It is at the base of your skull emerging from your spinal column.

The basic ruling emotions of love, hate, fear, lust, and contentment emanate from this first stage of the brain. Over millions of years of evolution, layers of more sophisticated reasoning have been added upon this foundation.

Our intellectual capacity for complex rational thought which has made us theoretically smarter than the rest of the animal kingdom.

When we are out of control with rage, it is our reptilian brain overriding our rational brain components. If someone says that they reacted with their heart instead of their head. What they really mean is that they conceded to their primitive emotions (the reptilian brain based) as opposed to the calculations of the rational part of the brain.
__________________________________________________ ________________________

Based on the bold portion who is to say that snakes did not add layers onto the basic Reptilian brain? Just recently in 2010 did a study find a connection between the cerebral cortex and brain matter in Invertebrates that lets them memorize and learn.

xhanth
08-02-11, 01:10 PM
I had a red tail for a while, it came from a friend and the snake was not treated well and was known to bit. Over the 2+ years I had it she only struck me once never drew blood from me. But as far as personality went, the way she cocked the head or acted like a child crying when she did not get what she wanted drew me in the fact that that snake did have a personality over it instincts. I now have a corn snake that was forced on too me like destiny and this snake was pure adrenalin fast, never come out from under the dirt only the head to see what is going on, just very wild. Also would strike, whip with end of tail or push with whole body with a quick jolt to tell me stay away.
I changed to live mice and over the last 3 month forced my self on to the corn snake. Now I can take it out, it wants to come to me know even though the first time it spazzed out with all its soul to brake its self to bond with me. The snake loves to wiggle and grind on me and just chills on my neck and if some one it does not like comes near me it does coil for attack. Further more it has changed color from a black brown and green to a black and gray colors. If u ask me all carnivore beings have a personality and a respect compare to most of the food we meat eaters eat I say rodents and insect have no personality over these snakes I have been given and they are clean!!!

natsamjosh
08-10-11, 06:31 PM
These aren't snakes, but this video is pretty interesting.... especially for those who are so certain they know exactly what's going on in the brains/minds of reptiles:

Tortoise helps friend who's flipped over. - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK9Xj7eY0UU)

bigsnakegirl785
08-10-11, 07:03 PM
I also believe snakes have personalities, I have two snakes and both of them seem to really enjoy it when I take them out. My red-tail especially; when I try to put it back in its aquarium, it grips my wrist as tight as it can and tries to climb up my wrist. When I manage to slip it off, it frantically tries to climb up the side of the glass. Then it sits there staring at me. Both my snakes like to stretch up, look in my face and flick their tongue on the tip of my nose. I believe anything with a brain can have a personality, even if it's just a very basic one.

Uncle_Rev
08-10-11, 08:03 PM
I am not really sure what to say honestly. My RTB is a savage pain in the *** to anyone she encounters, flails, dodges, moves right off of. However, I can sit through an hour and some change at my desk editing medical charts and she won't even budge. My wife refers to her as the other woman in my life.

Let the kids or wife try and handle her and she is plain unruly.

I want to believe she has a personality but I think it is more a rapport that has been built.

Valvaren
08-11-11, 10:10 AM
I feel my ball has a personality, it might not be much compared to my Dragon but he definitely does he is extremely shy with anyone not me, balls up, freezes, or attempts to get back to me, now me and my fiance are both there at feeding time and both handle him equally but he prefers me. He has a habit of trying to lick my nose/eyes and when I tell him 'no' he gives up, I don't yell or blow on his face and its not like a jerky reaction he just stops for a minute, looks and me then moves away.

Now Thil my dragon defiantly has personality, she hates her baths and recognizes when I say its time for one, gives me a look and gets p*ssy, hates being anywhere but on me and listens to her name. I've had a few times when I've had her out while I was upset on my bed now any other time her immediate response is to run around licking everything or crashing on the pillows by my head but everytime I was there, crying or just feeling ****** she crawled on me and nuzzled into my neck staying there till I move.

I think as a society we tend not to give animals the proper respect and we underestimate them, we can study their brain and anatomy but I truely believe we will never know how they think or what they think until we can either become them or understand them but that's my .02 cents and i'm glad there are so many people on here who feel the same way and do give animals the proper respect.

natsamjosh
08-11-11, 11:07 AM
"I think as a society we tend not to give animals the proper respect and we underestimate them, we can study their brain and anatomy but I truely believe we will never know how they think or what they think until we can either become them..."

Well said. I see a lot of people using the human brain as a baseline for comparison, but I don't think that's logical. Sometimes we should just admit we don't know... :)

Lankyrob
08-11-11, 12:47 PM
"I think as a society we tend not to give animals the proper respect and we underestimate them, we can study their brain and anatomy but I truely believe we will never know how they think or what they think until we can either become them..."

Well said. I see a lot of people using the human brain as a baseline for comparison, but I don't think that's logical. Sometimes we should just admit we don't know... :)


Gotta agree - we know very little about the human brain and how it works so why would we know anything about another species!

presspirate
08-11-11, 05:28 PM
To answer the op's question, in my experience. I will say yes indeed they do have individual personalities. You do not need to have a highly developed brain to have a personality. I have experience with developmentally disabled individuals and they all have different personalities.

xhanth
08-11-11, 11:22 PM
The personality of the two snakes I have owned is a child like attitude they do have personalities just in small variations. all beings have a soul made of energy no matter what you are it is only limited to your physical bonds and the amount of energy you control. Its like saying a dinosaur would be smarter than a human cuz it has a larger brain its just not the case. With out the energy that makes me think I would be nothing but a hunk of meat same goes for all beings of energy.

Will0W783
08-12-11, 06:55 AM
Hi guys, I study neuroscience. So I feel I might have a bit of qualification to chime in here...

I think that we cannot say for sure what any animal is experiencing at any given time. The brain stem- the classic "reptilian brain" controls our basic bodily functions, like breathing, eating, sexual drives, etc. However, snakes DO in fact have a primitive neocortex, consisting largely of the less evolved structures like amygdala (basal emotions= fear, hate, sexual arousal, hippocampus for memory, and sensory cortices. They do not possess any "prefrontal cortex". The PFC is the region of the brain responsible for the qualities we consider "human"- the ability to think about how we are feeling, empathize with others, and understand the concept of "self". Other mammals have a PFC, but it is not nearly as developed as primate and human PFC.
So snakes may indeed experience some of the things that people consider "emotions," but they would have no way of understanding those feelings. I do believe that most animals experience something akin to fear; they also can be comfortable and they can be miserable and in pain, or even just plain uncomfortable. Are they experiencing these things the same way we are? Who knows. For that matter, who knows that what I experience as comfort is the same as what any other person does? We simply cannot know what is going on in the brain of another person for sure, let alone another species.

I do not think that snakes can feel "love" or much of any attachment, but they definitely can learn. My snakes seem to "know" when it is getting close to feeding day. Most days when I enter the room they continue to go about their business, but around feeding day every face is pressed against the glass when I come in, even before the smell of food is around. I also have a few snakes- my retics- that will come out of the cage when it is opened and come right to me. I have one that actively presses on her door and paces against the door when I come in, as though she were asking to come out. What is she thinking? I have no clue, but it does seem as though she "wants" to come out.

So, can snakes have "personalities"? I think that they can definitely have different traits and attitudes. Some can be very docile and laid-back, while others are aggressive and cranky no matter how much time is put into working with them. Is that "personality" in the classic sense or just conditioning? I don't know...but I like to call it "snakeanality."

:)

Rog
08-12-11, 07:44 AM
If we are talking smartness. Do snakes harm their surrounding environment? No. Do they live minimally? Yes. In my opinion their simplicity shows signs of a great intelligence that will probably still be roaming the earth after humans kill themselves off.Why do we consider ourselves intelligent? Humans knowingly turn the environment they live in into an unlivable waistland, killing off hundreds of other species a day. Evolutionary wise who has roamed the earth the longest?

swiftskater1
12-19-11, 01:22 AM
In my honest opinion its probably the Reticulated Python. They are always so curious and they have a HUGE feeding response, And are SUPER smart animals. Which snake do you guys think have the most personality??



THanks!, Chris.

infernalis
12-19-11, 01:25 AM
Obviously... Garter snakes.

Always moving, always curious, always alert, Like a snake with ADHD.

Then would be my Black Racer, he is always alert and inquisitive.

KD35WIN.AS.ONE
12-19-11, 01:26 AM
Naja melanoleuca... Better known as Black Forest Cobra.

dshin963
12-19-11, 02:15 AM
Ohhh there is going to be a lot of bias in this loaded question haha everyones going to pick their favourites like me, blood pythons haha such amazing snakes and very rewarding :-)

red ink
12-19-11, 02:24 AM
Not that you guys would have any experience in them but..... Morelia carinata rough scaled python

infernalis
12-19-11, 05:34 AM
anyone remember this thread??

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/general-discussion/86589-help-settle-debate-do-snakes-have-personalities.html

Will0W783
12-19-11, 09:32 AM
I don't think there is any one type of snake that universally has tons of personality, but there are more active species and more curious species,...generally. There are exceptions to every rule when it comes to animals.

In general, I have found carpet pythons to be active, curious animals...they are large and impressive, without being massive and impossible to handle alone. Carpets generally stay in motion, and when handled are always crawling about, flicking their tongues.

Reticulated pythons are also known for being extremely intelligent snakes, and therefore curious and active. Retics, however, are the longest species of snake, and can have frightening tempers. Almost every retic I've ever seen has a feeding response like no other,...be careful! However, two of my favorite snakes ever have been retics, and there is nothing quite like a tame, curious giant python. :)

While Burmese pythons are generally fat and lazy snakes, mine has a great personality, and always comes up to the door of his cage when I enter the room. If I open the door and sit near his cage, he will come out and put his head in my lap and flick his tongue all over me. He's full of "seemingly affectionate" personality.

Colubrids tend to be more active. I've never had garter snakes, so I can't comment there, but I've had ratsnakes, cornsnakes, and the like and they are all active and energetic aimals.

Although, if one considers curiosity, activity level, cage rearrangement and fearlessness "personality",..then my cobra wins scales down. However, NOT A GOOD PET. I would not recommend one to anyone without extensive experience and training. They're very smart and won't let you get away with any mistakes.

alessia55
12-19-11, 09:36 AM
Obviously the snakes with the most personality are my own snakes ;) But I'm biased, hm? :p

youngster
12-19-11, 09:48 AM
I say wild ones, colubrids to be exact, ringnecks to be even more exact :)

But I'm also biased.

Will0W783
12-19-11, 11:23 AM
Youngster, not to be harsh, but you really shouldn't be taking snakes from the wild. With all the many healthy captive bred and born reptiles out there...why put a wild and free animal through the stress of adapting to captive life? Wild-caught (WC) snakes usually require repeated treatments with dewormers, antiparasitics and antibiotics, and many still do not fare well and die quickly. Why take the risk and stress?

Gungirl
12-19-11, 11:24 AM
Kim.. I don't think Eli was saying you should take them from the wild. He was simply saying that they are full of personality.

youngster
12-19-11, 11:26 AM
Oh no I didn't mean I take them from the wild for pets just IMO wild snakes have more personality.
I only take WC in if they're hurt and I always release them as soon as I think they can survive in the wild.

ineedsoap16
12-19-11, 11:36 AM
+1 for carpets.

BlindOne
12-19-11, 12:45 PM
Nothing like a Spilotes

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0706/0693.jpeg

shaunyboy
12-19-11, 01:11 PM
Not that you guys would have any experience in them but..... Morelia carinata rough scaled python

^^^^^
hopefully soon mate,as there are now a few legal pairs in europe and america

and no doubt now there are legal roughies,smuggled roughies hatchlings will start to appear

my diamond pythons are my most active and clever of my carpets

cheers shaun

millertime89
12-19-11, 01:16 PM
in my (albeit limited) experience, carpets and retics seem to have the most "personality"

Pareeeee
12-19-11, 08:18 PM
The Red-Bellied snake I owned years ago (when I was around 16 or so, way back before I got married) had an interesting personality. I took her in when she was almost killed by a weed-whacker. Anyway, I never saw a snake tame so quickly and become so extremely lazy. She would coil up and sleep in my hand, lazily take prey items (usually nightcrawlers) right from my hand and just be an all around lazy girl. She was very smart and figured out how to escape her enclosure a couple times. Luckily I found her! She was tiny.

I haven't had my Rosy long enough to examine his personality to the fullest yet.

redsided
12-19-11, 08:24 PM
Jeez, nothing, NOTHING, can compare to a garter snake when it comes to personality. Like Wayne said!

I have 5. They're all different. They each have their own personality's. It's really awesome. I wouldn't know where to start.

Rooster is calm but active, sweet, intelligent, doesn't like being crowded especially during feeding to the point of coming to the tanks rim, and going down when done eating, and extremely trusting.

Smoke is laid back, but sorta bully-ish with feeding.

Red is fruity. Goes nuts when food is near. Nice and friendly, but will bite if he feels like it.

Oscar (the grouch) is downright mean. Spooner is just a sweet, gentle, chilled dude.


That doesn't even begin to describe it. There's so many more subtle things that just make them the most personable snakes without a doubt.




You just can't compare to a garter snake.

It'sKourtneyYo
12-19-11, 08:30 PM
Nothing like a Spilotes

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0706/0693.jpegis that a venomous snakes? he is gorgeous!

Pareeeee
12-19-11, 08:36 PM
I believe each snake really does have an individual personality. Some never tame and seem to hate their owners, while others of the same species will seem to be almost affectionate. Others will be curious, while some don't seem to care about anything.

I think snakes are like cats, half the time they just don't give a crap about us. LOL! We humans often make the mistake of classifying animals that don't give a crap as stupid or having no personality. Nope, I think they just don't care.

I also believe snakes are a lot more intelligent than people give them credit. Just because they are so alien to us does not mean they cannot think and reason, etc. I mean, scientists are constantly discovering new things about the intelligence of animals that we would never have guessed would be intelligent. Take the octopus, a gelatinous ball of tentacles, a mollusc, an animal that looks like it should be stupid, yet, new research definitely puts them in league with African Grey Parrots and possibly even dolphins.

I tell you, animals never cease to amaze me. They often force me to change my opinions of them. I once owned two fish that decided it was their job to protect a tiny, sick fish that was a completely different species from them. They positioned themselves on either side of him and protected him from the bullies in the tank, gently pushing him down into the protection of the plants. According to scientists, fish normally attack an ill fish to make it 'go away' so they do not catch the illness from it, or so it does not attract predators. I guess these two didn't read that article. :P

youngster
12-19-11, 08:38 PM
I think that's a mangrove snake, too lazy to google :p
So yes, it's rear fanged if I'm correct.

BlindOne
12-19-11, 08:44 PM
is that a venomous snakes? he is gorgeous!

Spilotes pullatus, the Tiger Rat. They get large, up to 14 ft, and are known for their ferocious attitudes. I have a trio of them and they are -awesome- :D Their threat display is to vertically compress the neck, rattle the tail, hiss, and slowly flick the tongue whilst looking you in the eye. Quite the personality! Very nippy species, it's a good thing they aren't venomous or I wouldn't be here. Coolest part about them is they are diurnal so you get to see them a lot

BlindOne
12-19-11, 08:51 PM
I think that's a mangrove snake, too lazy to google :p
So yes, it's rear fanged if I'm correct.

Good guess but the Mangroves (Boiga dendrophila) have almost a triangular body shape with more a more defined head. They're also a bit iridescent, which isn't usually caught in photos, and have a clearly defined pattern over the entire body. Can you tell I'm a Boiga enthusiast? :D Probably the species I miss the most from my venomous days.

http://www.thegardensofeden.org/img/s2/v1/p156442660-3.jpg

millertime89
12-20-11, 02:28 PM
you can see a little of the iridescence in that photo.

bigsnakegirl785
12-20-11, 09:31 PM
lol I used to have fish and two Balla sharks. The last owner, for some odd reason, housed a goldfish with the two balla sharks. The goldfish was always a little weird and led the other fish we had, when we separated the sharks and the goldfish, into "little excursions into the outside world." Eventually even though we clamped down the lid and put a weight on it, we found all of the fish dried out on the floor. My guess is my little brother removed them when we weren't looking, he was even more anal about everything being perfect when he was little. I gave up having fish after my cat snuck into my room and smashed my beta's bowl and tried to eat it (she also killed my hamster! :/ I'll never trust her again. lol)