A snake's ability to recognize or bond with it's owner?

For my boas I don't think there's any emotion, they just know who brings the rats.

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Originally Posted by decensored

From what I understand, ball pythons and most reptiles have brains that function solely in survival mode. They don't have the brain structure for emotion. But part of the survival process is adapting and recognizing safety from potential danger. Do I think snakes can recognize their owners and associate a trust with them? I think it's entirely possible, but I doubt very highly that any snake develops feeling of love or admiration for anything.

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Do snake operate like dogs in a sense of reacting to energy and not just smell? For instance, I had my bp out, he's still very little maybe, 5 feedings or 6, and everything was fine until my dog came along and sat at my feet with his tail wagging excited to see what I was playing with. The dog was about 7 feet away from the snake but he snapped at my hand. So I suppose I'm wondering if he snapped because of the dogs scent or if it was because the dog was a little over excited. If its the former Ill just have to make sure I keep the dog out of the way when handling Shamo. If it's the latter I just have to keep him calm.

They don't bond to you. Who's ever had a snake escape to come find their owner because they 'loved" their owner?

They learn their owner is not going to eat them, so they are more relaxed with them.

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I think what everyone has said here is true. Hey, I'll take it as a complete compliment if my snake shows that he feels safe with me <3

Some species of pythons definitely can recognize their owners. I think in general, older BPs who have been raised with the keeper trying to keep them stress free probably are not afraid of humans. I'm pretty sure most animals are capable of distinguishing prey species and predator species.

Larger pythons, most specifically P. reticulatus do have some level of intelligence. They can be hook trained and can learn different associative behaviors.

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Originally Posted by TheDragonSteps

Hey, I'll take it as a complete compliment if my snake shows that he feels safe with me <3

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Her feeling safe was my goal when I brought my Ball Python home. She is now relaxed with me and knows that I'm not here to harm her. I do not believe that she loves me, but I do consider the trust formed between us to be something similar to a bond.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

For my boas I don't think there's any emotion, they just know who brings the rats.

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hahaha

Hey all in all, I think that associating you with safety and food is a form of love? Recognizing me as a positive in its life is all could really hope for from a python haha.

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Hey all in all, I think that associating you with safety and food is a form of love? Recognizing me as a positive in its life is all could really hope for from a python haha.

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Originally Posted by devonascended

Hey all in all, I think that associating you with safety and food is a form of love? Recognizing me as a positive in its life is all could really hope for from a python haha.

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More like cupboard love than love...

Hey guys, I just want to say that I'm usually against reviving dead threads, but this one peaked my interested because while I was searching on google, this 2 year old thread was one of first ones that popped up, and I believe that I can contribute. I apologize in advance and I don't plan to make this a habit.

My roommate is a 13 year old California Kingsnake, and while I am well aware of his inability to express any love or affection, we do have a "bond" so to speak, and he is very much my companion. He is very content with his home, and has no desire to "escape", but from time to time has a desire to explore. I can leave the top of his cage wide open for hours on end and there is a high probability that he won't be interested in leaving. While he is in his King's Dominion (his name is Domino, he was very black and white as a little one), he gets stressed when anybody other than me enters his Kingdom, and while he has immediate access to a half log and a clean paper towel tube, he has almost no desire of hiding.

Whenever I pick him up, there is never any fuss. When I set him down anywhere, he just sits there and smells for a few minutes before he starts exploring at an extremely slow speed. While I'm cleaning his tank while he is home, he is never bothered by me, or the vibrations that I make and rarely acknowledges me unless he is touched. As far as this "bond" thing goes, while I am handling him, he does get stressed until I am fully supporting his body and I physically wrap him around my arm (after 13 years he still hasn't gotten used to wrapping around me himself) and start petting him. whenever he starts moving, and I then pet him, he almost immediately calms down and becomes content. I also hand feed him with little to no trouble. He is fired up during feeding, but as soon as I pick him up and place him on my arm (only to move him from his feeding container back to his home), more often than not, he loses his desire to have me for lunch! Because he is a king, he does confuse my fingers as a snack from time to time, but its rare and seems to be a "spur of the moment" kind of thing, and when I unlatch him from my hand and tempt him to bite again, he has never showed any interest in pursuing the potential snack.