The benefits of handling + other stuff

[gregmonsta]

Well, you might remember me posting up in a previous thread where we were discussing the benefits or not of handling on our favourite snakies. I mentioned a study I did with two male Ribbon Snakes from the same litter ... Well ..... :D I found my scribbles (ie old notebook)


The study ran from 07/09/1995 to 20/12/1995 . The snakes (Steve and Dave) were 40.5cm and 47.5cm long and weighed 9.6g and 9.5g . Steve was handled extensively and Dave was the 'control' snake (ie minimum human contact). Both snakes would averagely consume half their body weight or slightly less at each feeding.


Study figures


Steve was handled for a total of 551.53hours
Dave was handled for 9.15hours


Steve gained 8.5g
Dave gained 1.2g


Steve gained 7.5cm
Dave gained 4.5cm


Steve was people friendly and very active
Dave was less active and would regulary musk when handled


Conclusion: Handling rocks!!!
Although, like I mentioned before, both snakes achieved a similar adult length and weight I beleive that all other factors aside that regular handling promotes the growth of young snakes.
(Also a larger study would be required for any real conclusion as my resources were limited - this being an SYS school project)



Other sub-studies lol :rolleyes:
Choice chambers :
Both snakes recognised the scent of objects from their enclosure and would congregate in the choice chamber containing the object.
Both snakes when given the choice preferred the scent of my hand to both nothing and objects from their enclosure.
Herbs:
Both snakes showed a preferrence for Rosemary (from 2 seperate days of testing)
Music:
Steve and Dave's music genres of choice were Classical and Heavy Metal (and I'm not being biased lol!!! I spent weeks giving them a chance to experience everything Pop/Rap/Country you name it) although it's a little generalised.
The scientific way to analyse this is to confirm that Steve and Dave were drawn to music with slightly more erratic rythms (which would be more in tune with a prey item, for example). Heavily repetitive and bass heavy rythms (such as dance music) Repelled them (just like when you are told to use heavy footsteps in areas with poisonous snakes - giving the impression of a large animal).



;) There you go :p now go give your snakes some love :rolleyes:

[Zephyr]

lol
Nice.
I just notice the direct benefit of handling: The snake is much calmer and views you as part of their environment instead of a threat, and more as a food giver. *As opposed to a food source. :P*
I'm working on getting all my snakes to eat while in my hands, so far Fatty, the one who's been handled the most, is growing like a weed and has no problems eating while in or out of shed. :D

[gregmonsta]

It's good stuff .... I've been noticing that Slithers, my red-sided, has shown almost the same rate of growth as Steve in my studies and he's been getting an average 2-3.5hours a week climbing his human tree :D

[anji1971]

I have noticed a difference in behaviour when exposed to different types of music too! I find when there is classical music they are much more active. They seem to go about looking for the source of the sound, while the more repetitive dancy music sends them into hiding.
Both Deejay and Stitch really seemed to take a liking to traditional choir-sung Christmas carols during the holidays.
I didn't realise other people had even looked into this type of thing, Greg........glad you posted this info!:cool:

[adamanteus]

But.... they don't have ears! They just pick up ground-born vibration through their lower jaw. I think you'll find they respond more to the bass volume than to the genre.;)

[Zephyr]

Which makes me think...
Do you think they can recognize our voice by the rate and intensity of the vibration? :O

[adamanteus]

Do you think they can recognize our voice by the rate and intensity of the vibration? :O

............no............:D

[Stefan-A]

Which makes me think...
Do you think they can recognize our voice by the rate and intensity of the vibration? :O
I think it's more likely that they would be able to recognize us by the smell of our breaths. ;)

[adamanteus]

I think it's more likely that they would be able to recognize us by the smell of our breaths. ;)

If you're willing to look for it (as I am) there is an opportunity to mention houmous in every thread on this forum.:D

[Stefan-A]

If you're willing to look for it (as I am) there is an opportunity to mention houmous in every thread on this forum.:D
Yeah, I've noticed. :D

ps. what's the difference between houmous and humus? ;)

[adamanteus]

Just regional spelling I guess?
Chick-peas, oil, garlic.... you say humus, I say houmous.

[Stefan-A]

Just regional spelling I guess?
Chick-peas, oil, garlic.... you say humus, I say houmous.
Okay, joke misfire. :D

Hummus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummus)

Humus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humus)

[adamanteus]

Ooops... sorry Stefan, I'm a little slow witted tonight!:o

[anji1971]

Just don't eat the wrong one, James!:D

[adamanteus]

Oh, I don't know... there are a lot of nutrients in chick-peas!:D

[drache]

Greg, that's a cool study
thanks for sharing
my snakes can all smell the difference between me and random 4th graders
and they have preferences - hierarchies of preferences even


ps. what's the difference between houmous and humus? ;)
regional spelling variations of the western world

[Lori P]

Wow, very cool study Greg!! Good stuff. Thanks for sharing that.

James, what is your fascination with hummus??

[salzar]

okay I have to chime in on this one.
sal knows its me, he smells me , but he likes the vibrations i project to him threw speach, like the montra I use on him its always the same thing, I say to him as I hold him, are you a pritty baby, yes you are...
he can feel this and knows its me .
i know this sounds krazzzzy but I can tell what hes thinking by looking at his eyes, yea snake whisperer, but all animals go by feelings we do to so the 6th scense it relevant to me. same conection with cats dogs and horses . handling a animal is good for both ...
you know the saying theres nothing like the outside of a horse for the insides of a man. its a natural conection to all living things that humand are either open to or totaly closed to and are non belivers
we need each other.. okay krazzzzy lady has left the building!!!
bye
cool study greg
thanks for the results..
bye
michelle

[adamanteus]

I agree with you on this, Michelle... all except for the voice thing... the mantra calms you, not him, it's steadies your heart rate, alters your temperature, effects the way you move etc. It is this (and your scent) that he recognises and feels comfortable with.
There is no doubt that tactile contact with our pets (whatever their species) is good for us.

[anji1971]

So snakes don't actually hear, but feel vibrations? I mean, I knew they didn't have actual ears, but I still thought they could hear somehow.
Very interesting stuff -- I learn something new every day.........:cool:

And James, I too would love to know why hummus is such an obsession with you!:D

[gregmonsta]

mmmmmmm hummus .... what's not to love :D

[Zephyr]

So snakes don't actually hear, but feel vibrations? I mean, I knew they didn't have actual ears, but I still thought they could hear somehow.
Very interesting stuff -- I learn something new every day.........:cool:

And James, I too would love to know why hummus is such an obsession with you!:DIf they can hear footsteps I'm pretty sure they can detect the subtle differences in our voices.
Some one should do an experiment and see if garters feel calmer when held and talked to by a woman vs a man...

[anji1971]

mmmmmmm hummus .... what's not to love :D

Well, I love it too............just not enough to manage to fit the word into every thread imaginable!

[anji1971]

If they can hear footsteps I'm pretty sure they can detect the subtle differences in our voices.
Some one should do an experiment and see if garters feel calmer when held and talked to by a woman vs a man...

I'd try that, but because my snakes are so used to me handling them, they won't venture near anyone else, so I wouldn't be able to accurately guage whether or not they were calmer because of a voice difference, or just because they knew it was "Mom"!
I haven't been able to get any of them to even crawl on another person without getting all stressed out.

[salzar]

james , your no doubt right about that montra thing. but he seems to like the fuss we all make over him, he is a attention hog!!
still love to handle him and such... bye
michelle

[Snake lover 3-25]

wow very neat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Odie]

I agree with you Michelle :cool:
Strip is the worst he pouts if you don't pick him up :D

[salzar]

mine will slither back and forth in front of the tank untill you pick him up, and now that the weather is better and the smell of spring is in the air, he loves to go out on the porch and hang out with us!!
I have a nice set up for caught snakes in quarentean, and cleaning, so he gets lots of fresh air to boot and has lodes of fun mulling around it.
bye
michelle