Eyesight

[RedSidedSPR]

I've always thought snakes relied mostly on smell, due to poor eyesight. I mean, they still probably don't have great eyesight, but the things I've noticed seem to say they have better than I thought.

I got a haircut few weeks ago. Not a huge difference in my appearance, but enough of one.

When anyone approaches either of my tanks, my snakes run and hide. Any of my family, any one visiting, anyone.

If I approach it, they come to the glass. And you can't say thats smell.

When I came back from the haircut, my snakes panicked. I'm talking, jumping up in the air and smacking into the glass
Was it that bad? I thought she did pretty good...
My anery came out hesitantly, and smelled my hand. Realized it was me, and was back to normal. The rest saw that, and were back to normal.


At any time of day, I can pick up my feeding tongs, and hold it 2 feet away from the cage. Any that can see it, go into feeding mode. They all come out, come to the glass, check the water bowl, act like they do when I have food.

Only the feeding tongs. If I hold anything else of the same size and color, no reaction.

Same thing if I put a paper towel on the desk and lay scissors one it. No food involved, just them seeing the stuff.

Only the ones that see it though.

Just to name a few.


Has anyone else noticed anything like that?

[PINJOHN]

I seem to remember Steve reporting something similar when he one time approached the vivs without wearing his glasses [you cant blame the snakes not a pretty sight even with his glasses on]

[guidofatherof5]

I think they had good eyesight.
Better than I ever imagined. Noticing detail in things I would have never thought they could.
Noticing the difference when I didn't have my glasses on.
I'm getting ready to shave much of my beard off.
It will be interesting to how and if they react.

[guidofatherof5]

I seem to remember Steve reporting something similar when he one time approached the vivs without wearing his glasses [you cant blame the snakes not a pretty sight even with his glasses on]

I must concur with that statement.

And they love me anyway

[RedSidedSPR]

Yeah I just found that post. That's pretty much how mine reacted, only not as panicky.

[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!

[Bart]

As I can tell, garters are way inteligent than any other reptiles. It's because they are opportunistic feeders. Any opportunistic feeders are more inteligent, that specialised one.

[RedSidedSPR]

And more fun. mouse a week, pfft. Boring.

I totally agree.

[Starling96]

my guys freak out when when i turn off both of there lights at the same time
the both swim around when i do