Steve's Snake Observations

[kibakiba]

Yo be perfectly honest with you, I'm never relaxed. I can sound relaxed and I can "act" relaxed, aside from the shaking and occasional snappiness that comes when you're nervous... But my voice stays steady. I imagine they are just feeling, or hearing the vibration and know it to be familiar, and relax. If it was relaxed energy, wouldn't they relax on their own, and not when I talk to them?

[kimbosaur]

Hmm, interesting. I was just asking because I've noticed that whenever I'm panicky, my snakes are really panicky. As in, they may thrash or try to escape. But as soon as I "calm down," by relaxing my hand and taking a deeppppp breath, my snakes calm down.

It's basic instinct and makes perfect sense when you think about it. It could be totally different in your situation though!

[EasternGirl]

I read an article in Practical Reptile Keeping that discusses how snakes can sense fear and tension in people and react to it by becoming tense and fearful and defensive...often fleeing, showing defense mechanisms, or attacking. If a person remains calm around a snake, the article goes on to say, the snake will react calmly. I notice this in my snakes as well.

[kibakiba]

Mama backs away from my mom when she's scared. Mama is very calm and almost understanding seeming.. she won't freak out even when my mom is literally panicking with her, she just slowly tries to slither back to me.

[kimbosaur]

I think this is the case with almost all animals. Its like a survival instinct right? Panic=potential danger. From the other end, predators sense panic, stress because it can mean an easy target.

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...Cee Cee gets panicky around the other people in my family. If she is coming out of her tank to see me and my mom walks by, she will freeze and start breathing hard and then slink back into her tank really quickly. She has, however, learned to have face-offs with my stupid cat who keeps going up to her tank and staring at her and scratching at the tank. She just stares back at him now instead of hiding. Cee Cee also musks other people. Of course that one time that she thought I was my ex's girlfriend, she bit the crap out of me...but I like to think that is because she understands that we do not like the ex's girlfriend! Lol...

[guidofatherof5]

Today I was visiting my largest group of female, the group with Enforcer, Tourette, Daisy, Shyblue, etc.
My youngest daughter Hailee came into the snake room and asked it she could get up there. These snakes live on an upper tier of enclosures.
I told her she could so she grabbed a stool and joined me.
Within seconds she screamed and jumped done yelling/crying "Daisy bit me" She showed me her finger and I did see two bite marks and blood.
I asked her what happened? She said she just reach in to touch Daisy.
This doesn't surprise me at all since 99% of the time I'm the person they see. I'm just guessing that Daisy didn't know/trust Hailee enough to be touch.
I didn't blame Daisy at all for the incident. Just who did Hailee think she was.
I love my Hailee but really

[ProXimuS]

Daddy's girls



I like the story on the first post of this thread. I wouldn't think they would notice something like glasses that much. That does show how intelligent and aware they are

[guidofatherof5]

The interesting thing is I can now take my glasses off in the snake room and they remember it's me.
I have learned that hats on my head don't seem to bother them. Please, no bald jokes.

[ProXimuS]

I'm surprised a hat wouldn't bother them, but no glasses would