Eyesight

[d_virginiana]

I've noticed a big difference in Houdini's behavior over the past year or so, and I think it's because his eyesight is going. He's still totally healthy, but you can tell he has a hard time homing in on prey items and freaks out if anything puts a shadow over his head. In fact, he won't take a pinky unless I've cut open a small portion of it and hand it to him with the cut part facing his mouth. In addition, he goes crazy and seems to lose his orientation if I change the layout of his cage; he's okay with new environments when I'm holding him, but doesn't like for his secure 'home' to change one bit.

But this has made me wonder just how much their sense of smell can compensate for bad eyesight. For example, he comes out to greet me whenever I walk into the room, and when we first brought Harley home he knew there was a new snake around the minute the door opened. Harley on the other hand acts totally differently and responds to way more visual cues than Houdini. I wonder if his sense of smell has become stronger as his vision fades?

[RedSidedSPR]

Well, I definatly think they use their eyesight a more than some may think. I starting to think my flame has worse eyesight.... He does some of the things Houdini does.. misses strikes, etc... it's weird...

and when we first brought Harley home he knew there was a new snake around the minute the door opened.

Oh heck yeah, you should seen my adult when I brought my anery home!