Our Smell is Important

[guidofatherof5]

I think garter snakes use smell as a major identifier even in a captive situation. I think at times we take that for granted when we are dealing with them. Changes in our smell can confuse and increase their stress levels. Something as mundane as petting a dog or cat and then handling a garter can certainly change the snakes reaction to us. Things like changing deodorants, body wash, shampoo, perfume can effect the way our snakes react to us. I think our snakes get used to our smell. They certainly have proven to me they watch our appearance.
Thanks to Steve Schmidt for our phone discussion on this issue.
Any thoughts on this matter would be great.

[thamneil]

Jeez Steve you're just on fire today. I do believe that you are very right. I like to play around with my garters on occasion. One of my ball pythons had freshly shed its skin. The skin was still wet and fragrant. I placed it on the screen top of one of the garter enclosure. Within moments, all of the garters had left their hides and had climbed to the top of the tank. It is amazing how curious our "beginner" snakes really are.

[katach]

I think you guys are on to something. I recently switched to a new shampoo and they have been jumpy while handling until they realize it's me.

[Selkielass]

Absolutely.
I blow gently down into my encloseres during quiet checks so they become used to my preseñce at quiet times as well as handling and feeding events.-

[Steveo]

Scent is certainly much more important for them than it is for us. It may even be their primary sense. They don't have much in either hearing or touch departments.

Now that I think about it, my milk snakes don't do much tongue-flicking. I wonder if that's partly why they're so afraid of everything.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I wonder what sense they would use underwater while catching fish/amphibians?Does the Jacobson organ work underwater?

[guidofatherof5]

I wonder what sense they would use underwater while catching fish/amphibians?Does the Jacobson organ work underwater?

Not sure if it does or not. I do know that just dipping a night crawler in a water dish will send a snake into a feeding response. It only takes a second or so for them to start fishing.

[EasternGirl]

Appearance can affect them as well. I remember when I first got Seeley and Cee Cee...I wore my hair back in a ponytail so often, that if I took it down...they freaked out like they didn't know who I was. But I totally agree Steve. I'm still trying to figure out if there was some sort of smell on me or something different that made Sadie react the way she did that one day. She is still a bit jumpy...but she hasn't bitten me again. I have taken her out to hold her a few times and she was fine. She is still hiding a lot though.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Not sure if it does or not. I do know that just dipping a night crawler in a water dish will send a snake into a feeding response. It only takes a second or so for them to start fishing.i searched around a bit and the answer is yes,as this Queen snake will now demonstrate The Queen Snake - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN5lDYoNYmc)

[Invisible Snake]

I wonder what sense they would use underwater while catching fish/amphibians?Does the Jacobson organ work underwater? From what I've witnessed, my garters will put their entire heads under the water moving from side to side and anything they bump into they bite and will most likely eat it, which is great for getting them to eat pinkies. I guess they're used to me feeding them live fish in their water bowl so they associate anything in there as food, except substrate.

[thamneil]

I've never really observed garters using smell under the water. It seems that they smell the water to determine if prey is present and then they go on a rampage. Im guessing that they could use it in the wild though seeing as some of the more aquatic species are able to hunt down trout and other large fish in large bodies of water.

[kibakiba]

That's weird, when Snakey was a young one, I fed him in his water dish and he'd stick his tongue out when he had his head under the water. Everyone I have does that if they end up with food in the water dish.