Ball python follows owner?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfY-wn6urNs

I was pretty surprised to see this, as far as I know BPs aren't a social species and don't develop attachments to people or other animals. I was wondering what could be driving this behaviour then?

Some of my theories:
- BP is seeking out something he is familiar with and tracking his owner by heat and smell?
- BP is looking for a place to hide because he feels too exposed
- BP is cold and looking for heat?

I really don't know what to think, what are your thoughts? Also I think there will be comments about this so yeah, I would say that leaving a snake in the open on the ground outside away from you is not a good idea (especially since it looks like he almost gets stepped on at one point in the video! :O) but that aside, it's a pretty interesting behaviour to capture.

I think it’s looking for a familiar smell and a place to hide. But the more u think u know about nature the more u figure out how wrong u were.

Pretty cool, but I do agree it was probably looking for a place of cover. Being that the BP was placed in a very open area, very exposed, and the person was the only real structure close by.

Agreed with both of the above! I think the theory that he's looking for a place to hide is also supported by the fact that the BP seems to try to search around for a hiding spot next to the tree before heading back to his human in the last clip.

I didn't watch the whole video...

But you can see in the snakes demeanor that it's looking for warmth and shelter. The keeper offers both. The snake is simply too exposed for its liking and slither somewhere familiar.

That's cute and all, until a bird of prey swoops down and carries the snake away.

It's always cute to see but usually it's the snake feeling most secure with the person so they follow them.
I made posts in the early 2000s about my boa Autumn following me. I'd go outside in the yard, set her down, go to random spots in the yard or the porch and without fail, she would come right over to me. It was really cool to see. But I also realize it wasn't anything more than her just feeling most secure with me when in a new environment. When other people would hold her, she'd either reach back over to me or just go 'up' to try to climb away from the new person. It's easy to read human emotions of trust/love into it but I really feel it's about safety and security/familiarity.
:)

Here we go, I found a photo. I'd set her down by the fence, by the small tree, on top the stool, in the open on the grass, and she'd always just come right back over. So cute, she was a great boa.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...GAieDHb6iX.jpg

Cute video...and I'm betting some of their neighbors just "love it" too...:rolleyes:

It would be nice to know what the temperatures were...the snake could be looking for shade from excessive heat, or warmth if too cold. Either way, it knows how
to find familiar territory. This may seem surprising, since most of us don't give our snakes a chance to do this, but it's not surprising to me.

Just remember this: snakes in the wild MUST learn their way around. To survive, they must be able to find their shelters from predators, extreme temperatures
and to brumate. It's hard to test snakes (obviously) but some researchers did manage to build a maze designed for the way a snake senses things (scent & touch),
and concluded snakes have as good a memory as rats, but they just don't use the same cues (nor do they move as fast). I wish I'd kept the source of that info, it's
been a few years.

Years ago when I worked with rattlesnakes, a large mellow red diamond rattlesnake came to my "bed & breakfast" after the golf course revoked his membership. ;)
He stayed with me for a brief time, so as to be hydrated & fed to optimize his chances in a new location in the wild, & he also had to wait a bit for the extreme heat
to subside before he could go out safely...but he was certainly never a "pet". So when I went to release him in a nature preserve in his natural range, I was very
surprised when he tried to follow me back to my car! And not in any sort of hostile way either. Say what??? He acted the way the ball python did in the above
video...and truly, I almost took him back home with me, it sorta broke my heart a little to leave him. But he was a big healthy & wild snake that belonged where I
put him...to this day though I have some regrets about it. Most of the snakes I've relocated did no such thing. I had a friend with me that day too...not a "snake-
lover" either...he was just curious about what I did...and he was really blown away too when that red diamond behaved that way. I used my hook to turn the
snake around, but he kept insisting he wanted to come with me. Of course, rattlesnakes aren't fast, anyone can out-walk them, & we did leave him there...:snake:

Incidentally, it was many experiences along this line that made me love rattlesnakes so much. Sure their venom is dangerous, and some of them are pretty hyper-
come to think of it, a lot of humans are too. But there are many whose company I cherish...snakes & humans both. All I know is that rattlesnakes aren't out to "get"
us, & we should stop treating them horribly, & respect their place in nature. :soapbx:

This is just awesome, and good for the whole hobby.


https://www.morphmarket.com/stores/kaos-balls/

My ball python has a room to do his missions in and when my husband comes in he follows him around, it's so cute. I believe snakes can be affectionate, I once live in an apartment that flooded so I had to keep my snake at my moms place till I moved, meaning I couldn't spend time with him everyday like I normally do. Once I finally moved to a new place and brought my snake over he was so happy to be with me again that he became a mushy cuddly snake. He would put his head on my nose and stay there just like he was giving me a hug and he stayed there for like 2 minutes just rested up on my nose. It was the cutest most adorable thing my ball python has ever done, and that's why I believe snake really can be affectionate towards humans. I put a lot of love and work into this snake, I take him out for at least an hour a day, lately he's been getting 3 hours of missions a day so to me he is more like a person than a snake. I'm sure he loves his human companions as much as we love him.

Some of the comments on the video make me rage. Things like "yeah it's cute before it EATS YOU!!". My mind is always blown by how uneducated the general public is. Most snakes that people keep as pets are not capable of harming humans...my 60 lb border collie mix could do way more damage to someone than a snake that probably weighs 4 lbs. UGH.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kira

Some of the comments on the video make me rage. Things like "yeah it's cute before it EATS YOU!!". My mind is always blown by how uneducated the general public is. Most snakes that people keep as pets are not capable of harming humans...my 60 lb border collie mix could do way more damage to someone than a snake that probably weighs 4 lbs. UGH.

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I didn't even think to read the comments...thanks for making me glad that I didn't. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I didn't even think to read the comments...thanks for making me glad that I didn't. :)

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Regarding snakes, I usually read the comments. The worst are usually from middle aged people on Facebook. I know that I'm going to get mad but I have no self control...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kira

Regarding snakes, I usually read the comments. The worst are usually from middle aged people on Facebook. I know that I'm going to get mad but I have no self control...

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Just too many people that are ignorant & proud of the fact. It's a real shame...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

It's always cute to see but usually it's the snake feeling most secure with the person so they follow them.
I made posts in the early 2000s about my boa Autumn following me. I'd go outside in the yard, set her down, go to random spots in the yard or the porch and without fail, she would come right over to me. It was really cool to see. But I also realize it wasn't anything more than her just feeling most secure with me when in a new environment. When other people would hold her, she'd either reach back over to me or just go 'up' to try to climb away from the new person. It's easy to read human emotions of trust/love into it but I really feel it's about safety and security/familiarity.
:)

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Oh my goodness that is too adorable! Even if snakes don't experience emotions the way humans or mammals do, I still think it's super cute that they perceive their keepers as "safe" and "familiar" and try to stay close to them. She was a great looking snake, by the way, I love boas.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Years ago when I worked with rattlesnakes, a large mellow red diamond rattlesnake came to my "bed & breakfast" after the golf course revoked his membership. ;)
He stayed with me for a brief time, so as to be hydrated & fed to optimize his chances in a new location in the wild, & he also had to wait a bit for the extreme heat
to subside before he could go out safely...but he was certainly never a "pet". So when I went to release him in a nature preserve in his natural range, I was very
surprised when he tried to follow me back to my car! And not in any sort of hostile way either. Say what??? He acted the way the ball python did in the above
video...and truly, I almost took him back home with me, it sorta broke my heart a little to leave him. But he was a big healthy & wild snake that belonged where I
put him...to this day though I have some regrets about it. Most of the snakes I've relocated did no such thing. I had a friend with me that day too...not a "snake-
lover" either...he was just curious about what I did...and he was really blown away too when that red diamond behaved that way. I used my hook to turn the
snake around, but he kept insisting he wanted to come with me. Of course, rattlesnakes aren't fast, anyone can out-walk them, & we did leave him there...:snake:

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Wow, that is really an incredible story! You did the right thing by leaving him there but man it must have been hard. He sounds like a one-in-a-million snake. I can't think of any other context where "a rattlesnake followed me" wouldn't be at least a little alarming. Makes me wonder how much they really understand, how well they can recognize people, and what they are thinking and feeling.

It's very cool that you used to work with rattlesnakes as well! Were they pets or was it for work?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valyndris

My ball python has a room to do his missions in and when my husband comes in he follows him around, it's so cute. I believe snakes can be affectionate, I once live in an apartment that flooded so I had to keep my snake at my moms place till I moved, meaning I couldn't spend time with him everyday like I normally do. Once I finally moved to a new place and brought my snake over he was so happy to be with me again that he became a mushy cuddly snake. He would put his head on my nose and stay there just like he was giving me a hug and he stayed there for like 2 minutes just rested up on my nose. It was the cutest most adorable thing my ball python has ever done, and that's why I believe snake really can be affectionate towards humans. I put a lot of love and work into this snake, I take him out for at least an hour a day, lately he's been getting 3 hours of missions a day so to me he is more like a person than a snake. I'm sure he loves his human companions as much as we love him.

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Aww, that is so sweet! Ball python's are the best mushy snuggly snakes. Mine loves to press against my hand or arm for warmth and security when I have him out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kira

Some of the comments on the video make me rage. Things like "yeah it's cute before it EATS YOU!!". My mind is always blown by how uneducated the general public is. Most snakes that people keep as pets are not capable of harming humans...my 60 lb border collie mix could do way more damage to someone than a snake that probably weighs 4 lbs. UGH.

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There's always at least one person convinced that snakes are powerful, cunning, scheming animals waiting to strangle someone to death. It's pretty ironic considering in that video you can see at around 0:57 the BP bumps into a leaf and gets startled by it. They're so timid and docile (and also not the brightest bulbs lol), just a little bit of education could go a long way when it comes to public perception of snakes.

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Originally Posted by Luvyna

...
Wow, that is really an incredible story! You did the right thing by leaving him there but man it must have been hard. He sounds like a one-in-a-million snake. I can't think of any other context where "a rattlesnake followed me" wouldn't be at least a little alarming. Makes me wonder how much they really understand, how well they can recognize people, and what they are thinking and feeling.

It's very cool that you used to work with rattlesnakes as well! Were they pets or was it for work? ....

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Strictly a "labor of love" to protect local species -and they don't even tip!* ;) Rattlesnakes are more aware than you might think, & in general, are not out to get people
at all...it's also not in their own best interest to waste venom on non-edible creatures. Of all the ones I've known/worked with over those years, only about 5% were very
hostile & hyper, & for all I know, they might have had previous near-death experiences with humans trying to hurt/kill them (ie. had really good reasons for their "bad
attitudes"). *Sometimes the best things in life are the things you aren't paid for, at least not the kind of "pay" you'd normally think of. :snake: