ball python chasing laser light.

Hey guys, just wanted to show you my baby albinos reaction to the temp gun laser. I've never seen any of my other snakes do this before. Thought it was kind of funny and interesting.

YouTube - Snake chases light.

I just noticed i made a typo, i meant chasing laser light lol.

Oh wow, that is way too adorable!

My ball also does this with a laser temp gun, I was surprised that he saw it I figured red would be off the visual spectrum, then my brain kicked in snakes 'see; heat right, IR radiation, so red is on that end of the scale. I am guessing if anybody knows I love to hear!! I actually don't like startling him with it so I start in the far corner so he can see what it is and not have a small fit with the magically appearing spot next to him. He often reacts the exact same as the vid but sometimes much stronger he has been quite startled and has hidden his head and also quite fast in his tracking of it. The only time he fails to notice is when he is tightly curled in a hide!!
A

That's interesting. If they can see red light.... then how exactly do those red colored night time heat lamps work? Probably not very well from the snake's point of view.

sankes like to watch the crazyest things, my BP loves to watch the fish in my fishtank, and then tries to break into it to get them. LOL

That's an interesting video on many fronts. Makes you wanna rethink some things we thought about red light and reptiles. Didn't realize the ball python was that visual oriented either. Hmmmmm.

Jim Smith

Some of mine will chase the red dot when I'm checking temps.

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Originally Posted by iCandiBallPythons

Some of mine will chase the red dot when I'm checking temps.

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I am tempted to buy a temp gun just for that reason (and to check the temps of course =P)

This is so interesting... I am tempted to try with with my big girl.. Shes curious about every movement.

thats so cool. and i love the albino!

I tend to think they may be sensing the movement of the heat that the laser light is giving off. Of course this is depending on the assumption that red light is not visible or disturbing to them. Even with a red bulb they would pick up the obvious heat signature of it, but since it is stationary, I would think they wouldn't percieve it as a threat or potential prey like they would with the laser... Just my thoughts...

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

I tend to think they may be sensing the movement of the heat that the laser light is giving off. Of course this is depending on the assumption that red light is not visible or disturbing to them. Even with a red bulb they would pick up the obvious heat signature of it, but since it is stationary, I would think they wouldn't percieve it as a threat or potential prey like they would with the laser... Just my thoughts...

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I don't think it gives off any heat, wouldn't that effect the temp reading??

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Originally Posted by nicktreb

I don't think it gives off any heat, wouldn't that effect the temp reading??

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The laser is only used for aiming at exactly what you want to measure the temp of. The gun contains a photoelectric cell that measures the heat radiating from the nearest object within it's operating range. For example, you can stand 3 feet away from a light bulb and it will read the temp from the bulb, but as soon as you put your hand in front of it, the temp will change to you hands temp.

The laser, since it is such a low power laser doesn't emit enough heat at it's pinpoint to affect the surface temp of the item you are aiming it at, however, that is exactly what allows high power lasers to cut through steel. It's because of the concentrated heat.

Now depending on how long you hold the laser from your temp gun on an object, it will eventually affect the temp. You can take the temp gun and aim it a sensitive area of your body, such as the inside of your forearm, and hold the gun about 3-4 inches away. When you do this look at the temp the gun is reading and after a few seconds you can feel a slight rise in the temp where the laser is shining and watch on the gun as it registers the rise in temp.

Depending on the type of temp gun you have, it might have a separate battery for the laser. You can remove the battery and the gun will still measure the temps of what it is pointing at.

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Originally Posted by Mr_BoaJangles

sankes like to watch the crazyest things, my BP loves to watch the fish in my fishtank, and then tries to break into it to get them. LOL

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That is such a cute story. My Samantha likes to look out of her viv at me when I walk by...I will stop and look at her and she will just stare and when I move....she will move...and it goes on and on for a little bit. Its pretty cute.

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Originally Posted by Jaydizzl05

I am tempted to buy a temp gun just for that reason (and to check the temps of course =P)

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lmao i was thinking the same thing!!

that is soo cool!!

Ball pythons CAN see red light. What they cannot see is INFA RED which is an invisible wavelength of heat energy given off by all heat emitters. Infa red is also invisible to humans and the red you see coming out of your red bulb isn't this although it is also emitting it. The 'animals can't see red light' myth may be perpetuated by the fact that deep sea animals tend to be red to appear invisible to prey and predators as red light is filtered out fastest.

Hmm interesting I thought I'd check to see what heat the laser gave off at work we have a very sensitive thermometer the laser did increase the temps a touch but it was super low 0.05 of a degree C (0.09F) so tracking heat possibly but unlikely.

fishboyUK I don't know how deep balls see into the red IR end of the scale but they do see/sense heat. Snakes have the ability to 'see' heat, they use that to hunt. Mine totally ignores a rat that is not warm enough. Pit vipers are even better than pythons at detecting temperatures. I am not sure see is the right term but as we can't there are no good descriptive words to use.

The whole thing is quite interesting.
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Originally Posted by kitedemon

Hmm interesting I thought I'd check to see what heat the laser gave off at work we have a very sensitive thermometer the laser did increase the temps a touch but it was super low 0.05 of a degree C (0.09F) so tracking heat possibly but unlikely.

fishboyUK I don't know how deep balls see into the red IR end of the scale but they do see/sense heat. Snakes have the ability to 'see' heat, they use that to hunt. Mine totally ignores a rat that is not warm enough. Pit vipers are even better than pythons at detecting temperatures. I am not sure see is the right term but as we can't there are no good descriptive words to use.

The whole thing is quite interesting.
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Yes, sorry mate i was on my mobile and was awkward to write that but forgot to add that i know they have heat pits and can sense/track heat. I was more making the point that they cannot "see" it in a visual sense, but they CAN see the visible red light that we can see AFAIK