Garters (or other snakes) and glass

[chris-uk]

It just dawned on me that one of the reasons animal rights people throw at reptile keepers is that reptiles don't understand glass so keeping them behind glass is cruel.
Now I've just considered that most, if not all, of my snakes know the difference between their vivs with the doors shut and the doors open. They don't need to touch the glass to know that they can't get through it, and I believe that it goes both ways, they know that the glass protects them.

What do others think? Do your garters grasp the concept of a glass barrier that they can see through but can't move through.

[Steveo]

I think they do. I don't see them slamming their faces into the glass like fish do.

[thamneil]

Often times, one of my snakes will be coiled between the glass and an object. It will be using the glass as a contact point. I notice that when I try to get an animals attention through the glass, it will approach my fingers and stop before it reaches the glass. When the enclosure is open, it will continue moving. I think it's safe to say that garter snakes can recognize glass as an object.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I have plenty of snakes that will remain calm and my even budge and you can tap the glass all you want. You open that cage door and all hell breaks loose!

[Stefan-A]

No, I don't think they get the concept. I think they deal with the mixed signals (barriers aren't usually invisible) as well as they can.

Potentially harmful, yes. Cruel, because they're subjected to something they can't understand, no.

Knowing the difference between door closed and door open may be attributable to other factors, such as sensing air flow or smells.

I don't see my animals running face first into transparent barriers. I do see them making contact with the barriers and attempting to penetrate them.

No, I don't think that they think that the glass protects them. Tapping the glass, unless you're punching it, is less jolting (physically) than opening a door, which involves rocking, slamming and a change in the air flow. I've had snakes that reacted to normal opening of the doors with a panic attack, but which didn't react to tapping and didn't react if you opened the doors carefully.


The only time I've seen fish slam their faces into glass, is when they're panicked.

[guidofatherof5]

My Shyblue(Ribbon Snake) is more then comfortable coming up to the screen door. She'll be fine until I open the door.
I believe she understands that the screen offers safety to her.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

My scrub goes straight over to the glass sides and pins down worms. She doesnt do this with any other food item or hard surface in the viv,either she knows what glass is or shes just bumping into it ;)

[d_virginiana]

I had Harley's tank on the floor for a while this summer, and one time my turtle went right up to the edge and tried to bite her head off through the glass (she's friendly that way). Harley didn't even move. Just stared her down. I think they know that there's something there, but they don't understand it. Like, Harley realizes that nothing can get to her while she's in her viv, but I don't think she understands the glass is the reason why. She always acts really confused that she can't smell anything through it.

[chris-uk]

What do others think? Do your garters grasp the concept of a glass barrier that they can see through but can't move through.

I should have phrased that better. I don't think they have any idea what glass is, but I think they know that there is something that they can't see (very well) and they can't pass through it. I think that they are also intelligent enough to learn that other things can't pass through it.

Another example of behaviour that I frequently see. When I'm feeding I prepare dishes of food for each viv, and put it down in front of each viv, then go round and feed. They can smell the food as soon as I prepare it at the table across the room. So they can smell the food and see it through the glass, but generally they don't attempt to reach the food until the glass door is opened. Lacrimosa is the best example, she has a branch that she waits on when she is waiting to be fed, and despite being able to see and smell the food she doesn't leave her spot on the branch until I open the doors, at which point she knows that she can get to the food. However she senses the glass doors she knows that they are there.

[Steveo]

I will say that my garters seem to get stressed (heavy breathing) when they're not under cover and I approach the tank, but that might just be a base instinct. I don't know if they have the cognitive ability to resist their fear.

[Greg'sGarters]

Whenever my eastern female sees me bring food over to the cage, she always seems to come up to the glass with her head held high, but it isn't until I open the lid and put the food in that she strikes. I think snakes can tell when there is glass there and when there isn't.

[chris-uk]

but it isn't until I open the lid and put the food in that she strikes.

With my Cuitzeo girl it isn't even a case of putting the food in, she knows that I will feed her at the door and she won't move from her position with her chin on the branch until I've opened the doors. If you've put the food into the viv it's not about the glass any more.