Can a pet snake have a preference for male or female humans?

Just a little night-time philosophizing...

I've seen and heard of dogs that are rescued which have a preference for a particular gender, or a fear of the opposite gender.

Do any of you think that would be possible with a snake that was rescued? Personally, I believe a snake can have a preference for a particular person, but am not sure about for a certain gender.

Vote and give me your thoughts. Thanks!

They have a preference for the ones who are biologically predisposed to have the warmest blood temperature.... Although I don't care to actually try and locate the statistics on that one at the moment :)

I don't believe a reptile can have a gender preference, I think it is like with most animals an individual preference based on scent and energy. I do believe they can have preferences to certain people as they are capable of identifying and recognizing scents and people that are scared, nervous, angry give off clear signals and energy to animals.

Regarding dogs and gender preferences it is less gender related and more related to the handler, the situation and the person that the dog currently doesn't like. Handlers/owners project nervousness and uncertainty into their dogs, and an unsocialized dog with a handler that thinks their dog is going to react badly will react badly. I've handled and trained dogs where owners claimed they either only liked or hated women, and by the end of the first session the dog loved me or the male neighbors.

Gender preferences in animals are strictly due to the handler.

Nope they love the one that has the rat in their hand:rofl:

Snakes don't care who takes care of them. As long as they have heat, food, and secure they're fine.

I definately think they can take to certain people. 80% of my ball pythons like my wife a lot more than they like me, and I always feed them! My partner has an anery boa that is absolutely fine until I'm in the room. If I'm there he tries to bite anyone that touches him, and I am not afraid of him. Had a normal female bite me last night and my wife goes in right afterwards and picks her up, holds her for 20-30 minutes, puts her back and I try and almost get bit again. They have to have preferences to people or gender. Or maybe I just smell lkie a rat!! LOL

I agree with Bulldog's statement. Its not about gender, more about other factors.

IMO, only birds and mammals can be predisposed to a specific gender.

Great points, guys! I love 'em!

Girdance, that would be a great study. In my experience, men have higher body temperatures, on average.

BullDogBalls, great points. Thanks for shedding light on that. It makes complete sense - about projecting those feelings on the animal - self-fulfilling prophecy, in a way.

FatBoy, that is some hilarious antecdotal evidence!

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Originally Posted by FatBoy

I definately think they can take to certain people. 80% of my ball pythons like my wife a lot more than they like me, and I always feed them! My partner has an anery boa that is absolutely fine until I'm in the room. If I'm there he tries to bite anyone that touches him, and I am not afraid of him. Had a normal female bite me last night and my wife goes in right afterwards and picks her up, holds her for 20-30 minutes, puts her back and I try and almost get bit again. They have to have preferences to people or gender. Or maybe I just smell lkie a rat!! LOL

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Maybe you smell like food?

I voted you never know... I'm very certain that they can have a person they recognize and "like" more than others... as for gender preference???

I think that it is more related to how the person/handler acts. If someone, male or female, is full of tension and nerves, then the snake is going to pick-up on that and be tense. My BCI is particularly sensitive to this type of thing. If a nervous person is handling him, he tends to grasp tightly with his tail in the hopes (I guess) that he won't fall or be dropped.
I do think that snakes can differentiate between people, definately. Everyone has their own heat signature (that pythons can differentiate) and style of moving and standing (that snakes such as boas, snakes without heat pits, can sense.) These are my thoughts :)

if i was a snake i would have a preference to women. you cant slap a snake for constricting a boobie and you can't really be angry should it lay around with a hemipene out!

Not really, but Charon (my Hognose) always hisses at my sisters but a little bit less to my brothers:rofl:.

I think its just how you handle them and how much. I dont think your sex has anything to do with it.

I feel it has to do with how comfortable they are with the actual handler. Such as how secure they feel. If you are to nervous they feel it. My snakes are all great with me, but Bob will strike at other people. He was the nervous one when I got him.

Yea, I agree. It is more about how calm you are and how secure the snake feels. My fiance and I were looking at a grumpy Carpet Python the other day at a pet store, and it kept snapping at him when he was trying to get it out of the cage. Finally he told me to give it a shot if I was so high and mighty (I was kinda giggling at him for jumping around like a little girl) and I reached right in and picked him up. No snapping, no biting. I've also noticed that sometimes my snakes will act a little more flighty if someone not too familiar with snakes is holding them.

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Originally Posted by spix14

Yea, I agree. It is more about how calm you are and how secure the snake feels. My fiance and I were looking at a grumpy Carpet Python the other day at a pet store, and it kept snapping at him when he was trying to get it out of the cage. Finally he told me to give it a shot if I was so high and mighty (I was kinda giggling at him for jumping around like a little girl) and I reached right in and picked him up. No snapping, no biting. I've also noticed that sometimes my snakes will act a little more flighty if someone not too familiar with snakes is holding them.

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Interesting. How did your fiance react when you picked up the jungle carpet? Are you thinking of getting one? They are all like that when they are young. We got one off Craig's List and are working with him.

Oh, he just played it off, he doesn't like to admit that he is usually more afraid of getting bitten than I am. We actually already have a Jungle/Diamond Carpet (who was a snappy little thing when he was younger, but sweet as can be now). The one we were looking at wasn't a hatchling though, he was probably about 4 feet.

We thought about buying him, but then I saw the baby Spotted Python they had and fell in love.