Recognize Scent?

Do you think the balls recognize a certain handlers scent after a while? "Oh I like this person", "This person dropped me before, I don't like them"?

A snake cannot know or choose between right and wrong. Therefore, a snake could never rationalize "Oh I like this person", "This person dropped me before, I don't like them".

While a snake may possibly recognize scent, it lacks the capacity to ponder what a scent may or may not mean.

Ultimately, I cannot come to a final conclusion to your question because it is really a two fold question. You are not only asking a question pertaining to a factual basis but very much a philosiphical one as well.

I'm pretty sure that they can't think along those lines, but I am pretty sure that they can recognize familar scents, I used to have a Banded river snake (we call em that here, I think they're also called false water cobras) and he was always really calm when either myself or my sister held him because we interacted with him on a regular basis but when we had friends over and they held him he would get very agitated and restless and sometimes even snappy.

But as to individual person recognition I'm not sure how accute theirs is but I know that monitors have it, such as Tegu or Savannah monitors

How is it in any way philosophical or moral? If someone drops the snake, the snake feels pain, so the snake may associate that person and/or their scent with pain, IF they have the brainpower (jury's out). They can definitely tell what certain scents mean. I don't think they would be able to smell if that were not the case.

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Originally Posted by stevepoppers

How is it in any way philosophical or moral? If someone drops the snake, the snake feels pain, so the snake may associate that person and/or their scent with pain, IF they have the brainpower (jury's out). They can definitely tell what certain scents mean. I don't think they would be able to smell if that were not the case.

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I don't recall saying anything about morality, and your "if they had the brainpower" reaffirmed my previous statement.

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Originally Posted by EvesFriend

right and wrong

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I believe that = morality. The idea isn't that the snake may be thinking about what's right or wrong, but what is likely to hurt it.

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Originally Posted by EvesFriend

While a snake may possibly recognize scent, it lacks the capacity to ponder what a scent may or may not mean.

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This statement seems a little extreme. I think that they can tell, as I said, certain scents apart or recognize them, like food. I think the jury's still out on whether or not they actually make such connections about people because making such connections is not to their evolutionary advantage.

I have a ball python that I used to be able to handle all the time. One day I was cleaning cages and got side tracked taking her with me. Long story short I was on the phone, not paying attention and my mind started thinking boa, not ball python. I stood up expecting the snake to wrap around my hand, it didn't and she got dropped.

Since that time I've not been able to handle her without getting hissed at and bitten more often than not. Prior to that I never had a problem. I don't know if she recognizes my scent but she sure doesn't like me. Other people, not a problem. They handle her just fine.

I find that every time I put my BP on my boyfriend's neck, she stretches out in my direction, tongue flicking like crazy. If she does recognize my scent, I have the feeling she only prefers to be with me because I FEED her! :P

I believe they can recognize your sent and the way you handle them, but they don't have emotions to show they really do know who you are.

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Originally Posted by bsd13

I don't know if she recognizes my scent but she sure doesn't like me. Other people, not a problem. They handle her just fine.

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:rofl: :D:D:D :rofl:

lol very funny but also so sad...

I certainly think they're capable of distinguishing one human from another by scent. Some individual snakes may go so far as to react differently to one person than they do to another, due to different experiences with them. There's no reason to think they aren't capable of that, it's basic survival skills. Ball pythons will assume humans are dangerous because they are hardwired to fear scents like ours--they learn that we are not.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

I certainly think they're capable of distinguishing one human from another by scent. Some individual snakes may go so far as to react differently to one person than they do to another, due to different experiences with them. There's no reason to think they aren't capable of that, it's basic survival skills. Ball pythons will assume humans are dangerous because they are hardwired to fear scents like ours--they learn that we are not.

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Exactly what I think.

My 2008 pied female is terrified of her vet in Tucson. She's never acted overly stressed at the vet's office, and she's always happy to let his techs handle her, but as soon as the vet picks her up, WHAM, she's in a ball. "I guess she still remembers having that medicine tubed into her stomach," he says.

This only partially extends to our vet in Mesa. She seems shyer around him than she is with the techs, but she doesn't immediately ball up.

I voted no to this, and then I started thinking about it. One of our BP's, Charlie, doesn't like to be around my fiance Matt. Charlie will do anything he can to get out of Matt's hands and come to me. Our other two, Superman and Lucy, are way more content with Matt than they are with me.

So if I could change my vote to yes, then I would.

ive got to say yes whenever someone else is handling junior he will streach out in my direction well unless its my mum that has him she lets him hide up her sleave and keeps threatning to steal him :(

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Originally Posted by punkoldschool

unless its my mum that has him she lets him hide up her sleave and keeps threatning to steal him :(

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At least your mom will get near yours! haha. "Love ya mommy" :D

I voted "no". Unless there has been an in depth study on this as to a snake being able to distinguish differing human scents based on previous imprintings it's really all philosophical conjecture anyways at this point.

I have no clue as to what I just said...

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Originally Posted by mrmertz

I voted "no". Unless there has been an in depth study on this as to a snake being able to distinguish differing human scents based on previous imprintings it's really all philosophical conjecture anyways at this point.

I have no clue as to what I just said...

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:gj: Love it. Made me giggle!

I personally think that all animals have feelings and moods. My dogs definitely have feelings and moods, my horses did, my guinea pigs did and even my betta fish did when I raised them. What's to say snakes don't? I think it's all a matter of spending enough time with an animal to notice even the slightest differences in behavior. I know that I have a snake that apparently hated her previous owner. He warned me she was pissy and struck and bit but when I got her she's been the sweetest little thing!

Just like we can sense people we don't like I'm sure animals can sense it too.

I believe many reptiles can recognize individuals.

Whether it is scent or sight or some other factors, my carpet python reacts differently to myself, my girlfriend, and my mom. This is not proof of recognizing individuals of course, but at least it shows that they can have instant reactions that differ based on who they encounter.

My girlfriend's panther chameleon DEFINITELY recognizes invidiuals. It is very easy to recognize panther chameleon body language, as they put on shows with both posture and coloration. Just stand in front of the cham cage, and if you are a stranger then Skittles will show stress-colors and put on posture displays. If it is my girlfriend, then Skittles couldn't care less. I'm sort of on a 50/50 basis with the chameleon of it feeling safe/unsafe with me nearby. Skittles also shows preference for certain individuals when it comes to hand feeding, in that he won't take food from anyone's hand except my gf's, only rarely taking food from me, and never taking food from complete strangers.

This isn't proof of anything, but I believe it is strong evidence that these reptiles aren't mindless, and are able to recognize individuals. It's been proven that reptiles can recognize parts of their habitat (hidey-holes, certain trees to call home, etc), it is no giant leap that the can recognize individual animals that make up part of their habitat as well.

I think they recognize scent to a certain extent. They know the smell of food and predators. They learn that we are safe, and since each person smells different, I think they learn each person's scent.

I voted yes because Sherlock acts very differently depending on the handler. If it is me, he will stretch out completely and procede to crawl all over me. If it is my mom, he will stretch out but still act slightly nervous. When my sister is holding him, his neck curves up and he moves very slowly if at all. When my dad holds him, he balls.