Interesting Observations

[d_virginiana]

I've read a lot of threads on here where people talk about how much their snakes enjoy hides, and seen people who have three or four hides in one enclosure or who have a hard time getting their snakes to spend any time outside their hides.

I've been watching for weeks now, and I've never seen Houdini in his hide. The closest he gets to hiding is leaving his tail under it while stretching the front half of his body out and going to sleep that way. Mostly he just curls up on top of his hide; apparently it's quite comfortable. From what I can gather this is kind of odd. Harley is a pretty bold little baby, but when nothing's going on in the room, she's always hiding even though she comes out to investigate when I go over to her cage.

What I think makes this really interesting is that I think the reason Houdini never hides is because the enclosure he was kept in for most of his life didn't have a hide in it. There have been several threads recently talking about the potential for captive snakes to survive in the wild. I think this kind of relates to that, since the arguments for it being okay to release a snake often revolve around "they rely so much on instinct, captivity doesn't affect their behavior that much". However, even though Houdini now has several secure, hidey spots he spends 90% of his time totally stretched out in the open and never totally hides.

I think that this may be a legitimate example of the way a snake is raised affecting its behavior contrary to its instincts. What do you guys think? Has anyone else seen anything similar to that? Just thought it was interesting

[guidofatherof5]

I have some snakes that when put on the ground take off like a shot and act like wild snakes when I go get them.
Then I have others that stay close or never panic if I walk with them while they wander.
I have one that will climb up on me if I sit down on the ground by it. Content to sun while resting on me.
Some snakes I would fear for if they were released and others I think would do fine.
Not sure if this helps answer anything for you.

[kibakiba]

Mama and Snakey stay near me when I sit in the grass with them, while Runt and Ember try to get away. Snap likes to sit there and strike at me right when she hits the grass. I'd had Mama for a year, and Snakey for 3. I'm sure they know what I provide for them, so they choose to stick around a bit. Mama follows me when I walk. I don't think it's a coincidence that she's going the same way as I am, every single time.

[d_virginiana]

Definitely. There are just so many people (not on here, but just in general) who think that they rely so much on instinct that that hardwiring can't be affected by being in captivity and that it's okay to release them if they're natural to an area. I just it's interesting to hear what people have seen as far as legitimately 'taming' garter snakes as opposed to just keeping a wild animal in a cage, you know?

[guidofatherof5]

In my years of keeping garter snakes I've only had one radix that refused to settle into Ranch life. It was a red female.
I released her back into my yard.
A month later I found her dead. Some preditor had eaten half of her.
I still feel bad about that but understand it's just nature.

[RedSidedSPR]

My adult (WC) is still pretty jumpy... I don't him on the floor. He panics.

Buy my anery (baby) will sit on the floor and eat, and if I have a
Camera be follows (or chases) me and the camera every move I make. I've set him on my lap, he crawled off on to the floor, went away a little, came back, crawled back on my leg.

He's very smart. He knows he can stick to the glue and climb up th glass, he knows that if I pick up my other baby (living with him) that he's gonna get picked up next.

[kibakiba]

Hades (Aphrodite is a boy, and has a a serious attitude) is too curious with the camera... He sticks his nose in the lens and pushes against it. It's funny watching him do that. He's a cutie.

[infernalis]

Just to put a little perspective to this conversation.......

I have photographed a few wild subjects that crawled right up to the camera and have never been touched by human hands.

They seem to be drawn to shiny things.

[kibakiba]

I think it's curiosity. Almost all of my garters are very curious about everything that is going on, same with wild ones. There was one that came up and sniffed my open hand.

[guidofatherof5]

Just to put a little perspective to this conversation.......

I have photographed a few wild subjects that crawled right up to the camera and have never been touched by human hands.

They seem to be drawn to shiny things.

Or maybe you just smell like a garter. No offense, it's a good thing.