Does your BP recognize you?

Last night the boyfriend and I got together and tried a little 'experiment', for lack of a better term.

I sat down with Baby on my lap, and my boyfriend, J, right beside me. While on my lap, Baby nosed at J's hands and arms with his tongue actively flicking. If J moved at all, Baby retreated back to my lap and didn't continue investigating until J stopped moving.

I then put Baby down on the couch, with a blanket down to mask my scent left in the spot. Baby curled up tightly, staring intently at J, and didn't relax again until I returned.

The whole thing was very unscientific, but still pretty interesting for us. We tried it out after seeing someone assert that snakes don't recognize individual humans, even their handlers. My experiences with Baby and other snakes make me think otherwise. Baby seemed to be much more relaxed and willing to explore when he could smell me.

What do you think? Do your snakes learn to recognize you?

It's a touchy subject. I think it has to do with scent. I believe a BP recognizes their main handlers scent and eventually learns that that person will not harm them. If a new person (new scent) is around, they do not feel as secure as they are unfamiliar with that scent.

I think you guys may be right. I know my bp seems to be more relaxed with me than when other people hold him.

Well, I have a routine down with my BP when it comes to handling him that he seems to recognize. When I reach in to pick him up, I start petting him on his body a little. When I first touch him he jumps slightly where I touch him, but then he immediately relaxes after. As I'm "petting" him, I start to move my fingers to the sides, and as I do this, he starts to lift his body up in the air right where I'm petting him. He knows what is coming next. He actually lifts his body up in there to let me put my fingers underneath him so I can pick him up. Happens everytime. That has nothing to do with scent like you guys are talking about, but maybe it shows that they also recognize the way they are touched as well.

My big girl will ball up if other people hold her, but then gets really loose and friendly and exploratory once she smells me. My mojave doesn't really seem to notice or care who's holding him. Most likely it's scent based, but one of mine does seem to (kind of, at least.) recognize me as being safe.

I would have to say that mine recognize me and my GF. When I come home (I work late) I'll check his temps and he usually comes over to where I am I'll touch the glass and he'll nose the other side. Likely sent based if a friend come over he'll usually retreat to his hide(s) it is quite funny but in the night when a new person arrives he'll put his head into one and tail into another :rofl: . Also he has been known to when I reach into change water or whatever he usually will touch me and sometimes will pass under and then over my arm in a light wrap. If it wasn't so cute it would be a bother trying to do something and then be tangled with a snake. I am certain that he feels safer with me than something totally new. There is a story there that is cool too but I feel like this is too long winded already if you are interested ask and I'll tell it.
A

I think they do...in fact my butter loves daddy. She is constantly going to him...crawling on him...trying to get back to him if I am holding her. (she is such a brat)lol

Henry and Elizabeth will hang with both of us...but when others are around they will tend to come over and cuddle up with us. It is pretty cute. Also Elizabeth will bump noses with my son and I. Henry will do it to me...it is pretty cute as this is our snakey kisses.

I so love my babies....they have the greatest personalities.

Mine definitely recognize and prefer me to their daddy. Even though he helps with feeding and cleaning, every single one of my 7 will come to me faster and easier than to him, even my two new ones.

Nago, my spoiled baby boy, will huff if daddy tries to pick him up, he doesn't like it at all. But mama rarely gets a huff anymore. If I have him out and daddy pets him or tries to pick him up, he'll grab onto me tightly and refuse to let go until daddy goes away. It's really funny. Nago also likes my daughter, but my son he's "iffy" about. Maybe he likes women better?

Now, my hubby's mental little normal is the opposite. He'll huff and strike at me if I come near him. He almost got me in the face once, and he did get my finger and left a pinprick of blood. But if daddy comes to get him, he just balls up and doesn't move. I don't know who he likes less, myself or hubby!

Gale

its hard to say. Does getting bit count as recognizing you???hahah j.k. I have a few females who as soon as you open there tub they come right to me and love to be handled. So i guess you could say they recognize me haha

Hrm, toughie. I don't know if it's simply because we're familiar with that individual animal so we handle them in a way that they're most comfortable with and through that they recognize us. I'm sure scent has something to do with it too.

For example, I have a friend who isn't afraid to handle snakes but doesn't handle them the right way (jerky, fast movements, tries to "pet" them etc) even though I've tried to tell her not to. She got peed on, struck at once or twice, and they're constantly trying to escape her. Needless to say I try my best to not let her handle them even though she wants to. Then I got another friend who isn't fond of snakes but will hold them out of curiosity--and imitates the way I handle them as much as possible. The snakes got no problem with her and is as docile as can be.

A couple times after this they probably get reinforced by the scent of each individual person. Friend 1=stress, friend 2=not stress so even if friend 1 isn't doing anything while she's holding them, they're still very uncomfortable.

Then of course they're feeding day-if I'm in the room they'll come up to me when I walk past.

By the way, BPsrule, I know what you mean. My male, if I stroke the middle of his body, he'll arch up into my fingers as well--I took this as either a mating response or a feeding/constricting response (since he will do the same thing if he's constricted around a meal) rather than recognizing. My female doesn't do it at all so who knows.

My guy also does the back arch it could be some kind of natural response. p3titexburial I am sure that how you approach makes a huge difference.

In my very little experience .... i'd say nope! they know i'm there but i don't think they can recognize me from someone else.

I reckon they regognise your smell, mine all come out straight into my hand..some fight not to go back lol!

The biggest problem with this thread and the others like it, is that I and I am guessing that I am not alone, really want to believe that my snake recognizes me! I am likely guilty of reading a natural reaction into something personal. I WANT to believe that my guy knows me, and recognizes me as safe, secure or at least non threatening. I think I have had reactions that justifies this feeling but then again, I know I want that and am biased so my observations are perhaps not valid. Personification hmmmm I still hope that what ever reaction to me he has in his little snakey brain is at least a happy one, :P personification, darn you!!!

I think the arching of the back might be a natural response. Maybe they are trying to make themselves appear larger. My bps will arch their back when I touch them but they don't necessarily want to be held. I don't think my bps recognize me (except Thriller because I think he recognizes me as someone he needs to bite!) I think they might be used to the way you handle them. They might detect subtle changes in a way a person breathes, moves, and reacts. So they may not recognize YOU but they do recognize the way you handle them.

After researching and reading everything I can find about pythons I believe many are professionals are so wrong.. IMO pythons do know who we are. For an example Samara my python perferrs to be handled by me verses my wife... Sahara my wive's python wants her and is very nervus around me. Believe it or not when I come home Samara comes out of her hide box and starts to climb to come out of her cage. She only does that when I am around. So I believe they do know us. :gj:

I think they do, the snakes i have had since they were hatchlings are very comfortable when i walk up to there tanks and handle them, but the newer ones scurry into there hides. My first bp that i got actually comes up and out of his hide when i come near him and when i crack the top he comes out into my hands.i thnk its a combination of there personalties and them recognizing people as safe or unharmfull thing.

Haha yes. Apollo recognizes me and my scent. Hes gotten out once and during that time he crawled into a shirt I left on the ground recently. When he's out hes glued to me, when something scary happens he goes under my shirt. Overall I think he's found of me. He's gotten very comfortable, enough for me to take him out and feed him anyway as long as Im nearby.