Wiggles, the Children's Python

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I think this is part of why snakes get such a bad rap- we assume other animals visually identify everything the way we do, but I've seen it many times where a snake is a very short distance from us- maybe after we just set them down, but suddenly they don't recognize us & they lash out- mistaking us either for prey or a predator. It's the way their reptile brains work- I've always found that for me the best way not to get bit is by keeping a snake close to me. Once there is space between you, there's room for them to misinterpret & make mistakes. Scent & touch are to a snake what language is to us.

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I just read this in Boas and Pythons of the World, "Snakes can detect motion owing to the structure of the retina, which is armed with more rods rather than cones, and provides vision similar to a mammal's peripheral vision with its 'all or nothing' response. They cannot detect colour or shape." Very illuminating.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

I just read this in Boas and Pythons of the World, "Snakes can detect motion owing to the structure of the retina, which is armed with more rods rather than cones, and provides vision similar to a mammal's peripheral vision with its 'all or nothing' response. They cannot detect colour or shape." Very illuminating.

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Is this all snakes or just boas & pythons? My previous sources have said they (snakes) can see some color, but maybe the overall knowledge has changed & is now updated? My own experience with many snakes does suggest they don't visually make out "shapes" -to recognize us, for example. But I've also observed that some snakes appear to have much better eyesight than others. Either way, I make regular use of scent & touch cues to communicate with all my snakes. 'Cause I don't like bites, & I don't like snakes living in fear of the unknown.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Is this all snakes or just boas & pythons?

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All snakes, but it's an old book (2007). It wouldn't surprise me, if more recent scholarship found some species can see color. But if a world renown herpetologist thought that snakes can see neither shape nor color, it stands to reason that they see very differently than we do. So, we shouldn't be surprised when they fail to recognize us visually.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

All snakes, but it's an old book (2007). It wouldn't surprise me, if more recent scholarship found some species can see color. But if a world renown herpetologist thought that snakes can see neither shape nor color, it stands to reason that they see very differently than we do. So, we shouldn't be surprised when they fail to recognize us visually.

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Also, there's no reason to think that all 3000+ species of snakes that differ widely in their methods of survival are all going to have the same sort of visual ability. I think it's more likely that active diurnal hunters will have superior vision to nocturnal ambush-predators, but I don't don't know that for a fact, only that it seems that way to me, from what I've kept.

So, transitioning to Reptilinks is proving to be more challenging than I thought. The first time I fed him a Reptilink, I just scented the link by rubbing it on a hopper. He took it no problem. The second time I tried not scenting it. When that didn't work, I scented it, as before, and he took it just fine. Last night, I tried lightly scenting half of the link. When that didn't work, I scented it as before. When that didn't work, I paired it with a mouse tail. When that didn't work, I slathered it in mouse entrails. That worked.

However, I don't want to keep buying mice in order to feed Reptilinks. That's not efficient. I could just buy one mouse, puree it and coat all my Reptilinks at one time, but, before I resort to that, I think I'll try simply waiting until he's positively ravenous before feeding him.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

...However, I don't want to keep buying mice in order to feed Reptilinks. That's not efficient...

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It's not efficient nor does it "save" any mice (for those who prefer that aspect). From what I've read, Reptilinks have always had acceptance problems with many or most snakes, which is why I've never bothered trying them on any of mine. I do understand why you'd like to make it work though, so I hope you can manage to do so. Either way, I'm glad you're sharing your experience here.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

It's not efficient nor does it "save" any mice (for those who prefer that aspect). From what I've read, Reptilinks have always had acceptance problems with many or most snakes, which is why I've never bothered trying them on any of mine. I do understand why you'd like to make it work though, so I hope you can manage to do so. Either way, I'm glad you're sharing your experience here.

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I'm confident that I will eventually succeed in the transition. I know of others with Children's pythons that have. My experience has made me more reticent to recommend them to others with snakes. Lizards seem to be more willing to take them, and I think they are a great idea if you have an omnivore that won't eat its veggies.

I've always been skeptical over getting a snake to eat Reptilinks. When they're used to eating whole, "unmodified" prey as a rule, always seemed like more hassle than its worth unless the meat involved is very specific (like frogs for a hognose) or the snake in question will eat anything you offer it. Compared to lizards which are more willing to eat anything they come across regardless of form.

@ Homebody- As I say, I've never tried offering them, but aren't the Reptilinks also a different texture than an actual rodent? I'm guessing they're more dense & stiff, & less flexible & soft- so maybe that's part of the problem too? Snakes go by both scent & sense of touch. Of course if they were too soft, they'd probably fall apart too, since they're a composite?

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

I've always been skeptical over getting a snake to eat Reptilinks. When they're used to eating whole, "unmodified" prey as a rule, always seemed like more hassle than its worth unless the meat involved is very specific (like frogs for a hognose) or the snake in question will eat anything you offer it. Compared to lizards which are more willing to eat anything they come across regardless of form.

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Whether feeding Reptilinks is more hassle than it's worth boils down to whether feeding a variety of prey is healthier than feeding only mice. I'm taking it, pretty much, on faith that it is. If it is healthier, then it's easier to argue that the hassle is worth it.