Scary smart snake

This is for anyone who buys the "dumb little lizard brain" theory.

I was tending to my old dog this morning when I noticed my Pastel lap snake acting oddly in his tank.
[40 gallon with "Lucy lid" and 3 keyed locks]

He was stretched upward and 'smearing' himself across the OptiPlex somewhat like a windshield wiper.

I'm like "WTH?"

So I watched him.

After about 6 tries, his 'cheek' touched the latch inside the tank...and he froze.
Then he slowly worked his face up over the top of the latch, turned his head downward like somebody using a crescent wrench, pushed and opened the latch.

He then dropped down and headed for the next one.

By the time I got hubby out of the shop and into the house to see all this, the snake was working on the second latch.

The snake knows the latches keep him 'trapped' in there and knows how to open them.

Now I know why I keep finding him "stressing" in the early hours of dawn.

He's been carefully perfecting his escape routine.

Anybody else ever seen anything like this?

:O

[when hubby took out the keys from the locks and told me that he couldn't open them now, he slid down the glass and just laid there looking dejected until he gave up and slithered back into his hide where he's now pointedly moping]

Never heard of any behavior like that before. I wish there was a video of it!!

Wow that does sounds scarily intelligent. It wouldnt amaze me if he just managed to get one latch loose, but the fact that he went for the second one is incredible! I agree, I would have grabbed a camera if I saw something like that

I totally buy it. My girl is in a vision cage (sliding glass doors) and before I had a lock, she would jam herself in the track for the glass.... and start inching and inching her belly scales. She was not yet strong enough to move the glass, but I promptly ordered a lock. She has SO learned that the glass slides and was working out how to slide it. When I installed the lock, she spent two days running her tongue all around it. She knew it was going to be a foil in her plan.

I think they can figure out far more than we give them credit for.

Oh wow. What an impressive little critter. How clever!! x)

They always do surprise me.

My little albino rearranges her tank every four or five days, seemingly in response to temperature and light. In the morning hours when the sun begins to come in, she pushes her hide off of the heating pad and against her water bowl on the far side of the terrarium that's shaded, and then moves it back after sunset. It's really odd to watch. She slithers in and then just pushes it over.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Emily Hubbard

I totally buy it. My girl is in a vision cage (sliding glass doors) and before I had a lock, she would jam herself in the track for the glass.... and start inching and inching her belly scales. She was not yet strong enough to move the glass, but I promptly ordered a lock. She has SO learned that the glass slides and was working out how to slide it. When I installed the lock, she spent two days running her tongue all around it. She knew it was going to be a foil in her plan.

I think they can figure out far more than we give them credit for.

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I keep my BP in Vision 422 and she did this as well.

That makes me think she might be clever....

But then she will just slither and fall right off my bed unaware that there is nothing there and she will just fall off.

Makes me question intelligence...


BTW how do you heat your Vision? J/c

Wow! I have never heard that one before. Not undoing one latch & heading for the second!

One of my albinos occasionally gets on my laptop and logs onto this forum and makes posts in my name. I'm thinking of getting her her own login. ;)

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Originally Posted by AEnimaDrummer98

I keep my BP in Vision 422 and she did this as well.

That makes me think she might be clever....

But then she will just slither and fall right off my bed unaware that there is nothing there and she will just fall off.

Makes me question intelligence...


BTW how do you heat your Vision? J/c

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HAHA. Yeah intelligence seems to come and go... My snake went through a major falling off of things phase. They just look so pitiful when then fall! Piled in a little heap trying to right themselves, all confused wondering what on earth just happened.

I heat my vision with two heating pads: one is a large Fluckers that is controlled by a Hydrofarm thermostat. Then on the Cool side, I have a heat pad that is controlled by a dial (similar to a human heat pad, but for reptiles) I put it on the lowest possible setting and it brings up the cool side temp to 77-78ish. That is only for these cold months, I will unplug it when it warms up. If it is a really cold night, I will turn on a night lamp til morning. It sounds like a lot, but I am sure you have noticed that heating a Vision can be pain. I check temps everyday and with all of my heating implements, the warm side stays about 88 and the cool side about 78, 80 in the humid hide, which she uses every shed and is having perfect sheds. But I am going to buy a three snake rack this summer to replace my Vision. It looks really nice, but I want something more controlled. Plus, I'm getting my second snake in September. :D He/She will go in the Vision in the other room while in QT, then move into the rack I intent to buy:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rebelrachel13

Never heard of any behavior like that before. I wish there was a video of it!!

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I will be kicking my own butt for eternity because there was a camera not 6 feet away.

I was just so enthralled [and a bit concerned that there was something wrong with him] that it didn't occur to me to video it until it was too late.

Honestly, I had no idea what he was really doing until he connected that latch "just right" and flipped it.

I probably just lost my $10K chance at "World's Funniest Animals" videos....;D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Emily Hubbard

I totally buy it. My girl is in a vision cage (sliding glass doors) and before I had a lock, she would jam herself in the track for the glass.... and start inching and inching her belly scales. She was not yet strong enough to move the glass, but I promptly ordered a lock. She has SO learned that the glass slides and was working out how to slide it. When I installed the lock, she spent two days running her tongue all around it. She knew it was going to be a foil in her plan.

I think they can figure out far more than we give them credit for.

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Both of my Boas do that to their sliding doors.
I have locks on them too but they're the kind that allow just a little free-play in movement and those Boas "test" them every time I close their doors...."just in case".....LOL

They can't be really spooky sometimes, can't they?.....:O

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ohlacey

Oh wow. What an impressive little critter. How clever!! x)

They always do surprise me.

My little albino rearranges her tank every four or five days, seemingly in response to temperature and light. In the morning hours when the sun begins to come in, she pushes her hide off of the heating pad and against her water bowl on the far side of the terrarium that's shaded, and then moves it back after sunset. It's really odd to watch. She slithers in and then just pushes it over.

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OMG...that is so adorable!
She's got a mobile home!

:P

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Originally Posted by BPnewguy

Wow! I have never heard that one before. Not undoing one latch & heading for the second!

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Next time I clean his house, I'm going to check it for a lock picking kit.


:rofl:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kklepac

One of my albinos occasionally gets on my laptop and logs onto this forum and makes posts in my name. I'm thinking of getting her her own login. ;)

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:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Pretzels middle name isn't "houdini" for nothing... :) I have a wooden vivarium with sliding glass doors.
If I've been out anywhere, the last thing I do when I go out and the first thing I do when I return is to check Pretzels viv...Just a sort of OCD thing I do.

I checked the doors - Closed. I went out...
When I came home from shopping with my friend, I go upstairs, I check again.
One side is open...about four inches. Of course I panicked :) My Grandparents (who I live with) aren't going to deal well with "Erm, Pretzel's got out and I havent a clue where she is."
:S

But I checked inside the viv anyway and of course she was there, looking at me like "Yeahhh I opened the door, but can you close it now YOU'RE LETTING THE DRAUGHT IN!"

I didnt think anything of it, Nan said she might have knocked it when she went in there to get something. It's happened a few times since then, and so I watched one day when she was particularly active.
Nudge...Nudge...Nudge slide...Nudge slide. Oh yeah. Gap big enough to get out of. She now has a wedge because my vivarium doesn't have the kind of doors my local shop will stock locks for :)

Clever little mite.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CherryPython

Pretzels middle name isn't "houdini" for nothing... :) I have a wooden vivarium with sliding glass doors.
If I've been out anywhere, the last thing I do when I go out and the first thing I do when I return is to check Pretzels viv...Just a sort of OCD thing I do.

I checked the doors - Closed. I went out...
When I came home from shopping with my friend, I go upstairs, I check again.
One side is open...about four inches. Of course I panicked :) My Grandparents (who I live with) aren't going to deal well with "Erm, Pretzel's got out and I havent a clue where she is."
:S

But I checked inside the viv anyway and of course she was there, looking at me like "Yeahhh I opened the door, but can you close it now YOU'RE LETTING THE DRAUGHT IN!"

I didnt think anything of it, Nan said she might have knocked it when she went in there to get something. It's happened a few times since then, and so I watched one day when she was particularly active.
Nudge...Nudge...Nudge slide...Nudge slide. Oh yeah. Gap big enough to get out of. She now has a wedge because my vivarium doesn't have the kind of doors my local shop will stock locks for :)

Clever little mite.

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:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Mental note, Keep the wife away from reading this post !!!!

:D

I know everyone says snakes arent really smart and bps in particular are really dumb but i believe that there are different levels of intelligence among these snakes. Not every bp is the same. For example my cinny boy that i got recently is a nervous little fellow but once you get him out and hold him he calms down, but i still dont think he enjoys being out all that much.
My normal girl on the other hand, imo, is much smarter. I have her in a 41 qt tub and shes around 1300grams. I have a water dish in the front and a large piece of corkbark in the back for her to crawl under. So i come home one day and the whole tub is fogged up with condensation. Im like wth is goin on here? So then i slide out the tub and her hide is on the cold side and the water dish is over the flexwatt in the back. I look down and shes peeking out from under the hide and once i lift it off of her she looks up at me and starts coming right out of the tub to explore lol. I have absolutely no idea how she managed to switch it around like that without spilling very much water but somehow she did...?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ExotixTowing

Mental note, Keep the wife away from reading this post !!!!

:D

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Heh heh heh.

:twisted:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I know everyone says snakes arent really smart and bps in particular are really dumb but i believe that there are different levels of intelligence among these snakes. Not every bp is the same. For example my cinny boy that i got recently is a nervous little fellow but once you get him out and hold him he calms down, but i still dont think he enjoys being out all that much.
My normal girl on the other hand, imo, is much smarter. I have her in a 41 qt tub and shes around 1300grams. I have a water dish in the front and a large piece of corkbark in the back for her to crawl under. So i come home one day and the whole tub is fogged up with condensation. Im like wth is goin on here? So then i slide out the tub and her hide is on the cold side and the water dish is over the flexwatt in the back. I look down and shes peeking out from under the hide and once i lift it off of her she looks up at me and starts coming right out of the tub to explore lol. I have absolutely no idea how she managed to switch it around like that without spilling very much water but somehow she did...?

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I'm sure you're familiar with Pavlov's experiments?

The snake has conditioned you to respond to her stimuli.

Congratulations.

You've been PWNED by a snake.

:D

[as have I, many times]

:rofl:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kklepac

One of my albinos occasionally gets on my laptop and logs onto this forum and makes posts in my name. I'm thinking of getting her her own login. ;)

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HA...maybe she's looking for a male! LOL That's hysterical!

After mine escaped popping the clips last week, I believe this!
NOW he sit & stares at all the corners wondering how to get out again! haha
It's like they just don't know how good they have it in their tanks!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Leone

After mine escaped popping the clips last week, I believe this!
NOW he sit & stares at all the corners wondering how to get out again! haha
It's like they just don't know how good they have it in their tanks!

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:D

Ever since hubby took the keys out, I haven't seen my guy 'climbing the walls'.

He's disgusted and still sulking in his hide.

[that snake can really hold a grudge]

;]

My big male normal used to escape from his tank all the time! He escaped twice and I found him in my base board heat. Luckily, it was summer time and I didn't have the heat on. I now use tubs and have not had an escape since. It is amazing that my male normal knew just how to push the lid on his tank off twice to escape. These snakes are smarter then we give them credit for.

I keep saying this to my wife ( Snakes are smarter then what people give them credit for ) cool story by the way

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salamander

I'm sure you're familiar with Pavlov's experiments?

The snake has conditioned you to respond to her stimuli.

Congratulations.

You've been PWNED by a snake.

:D

[as have I, many times]

:rofl:

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Yes lol. She hasnt done it since, but im sure she'll figure out something else creepy to do to me...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

my big male normal used to escape from his tank all the time! He escaped twice and i found him in my base board heat. Luckily, it was summer time and i didn't have the heat on. I now use tubs and have not had an escape since. It is amazing that my male normal knew just how to push the lid on his tank off twice to escape. These snakes are smarter then we give them credit for.

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:snake::O:snake:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Yes lol. She hasnt done it since, but im sure she'll figure out something else creepy to do to me...

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I'm sure she's quietly plotting something nefarious even as we speak.

Is she looking particularly innocent, by any chance?

[that's usually the lulling calm before the calamity]

:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salamander

I'm sure she's quietly plotting something nefarious even as we speak.

Is she looking particularly innocent, by any chance?

[that's usually the lulling calm before the calamity]

:D

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Haha, this is SO true.

I posted a few months ago about my Pin's Great Escape Adventure, which while greatly planned and executed, only lasted a few minutes, because my neighbor found her and kept her until she could be dealt with.

After more than a month practicing and perfecting her method, she discovered how to open the locking lid I had for her... Sneaky Bastard <3




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