Colubrids vs Boids - Intelligence

[Crotalids]

That link doesn't seem to be working: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL0yl...ature=youtu.be

[PitOnTheProwl]

Must be something in the water........................................
Play nice OR don't play at all.

[Neal]

Must be something in the water........................................
Play nice OR don't play at all.

You know I always do.

I'm not worried about that guy. His links don't even work and he's yet to disprove what I've been saying all along. You're my best buddy Pit .

[Bluebonnet Herp]

Since this is on par with a snake's learning capabilities... http://www.anapsid.org/smartsnakes.html

[Neal]

Since this is on par with a snake's learning capabilities... http://www.anapsid.org/smartsnakes.html

Definitely an interesting read, and while I don't do studies like that I do believe that my Rufous Beaked know which way is out. The exo-terra I have them in opens from the top and from the front, but I've never taken them out of the top, but only the front. I'll see the two I take out quite often looking out of the front and just sitting there like they're waiting for the glass to open. I'm not saying that's the case, but it's what I've noticed. What really freaks me out is when I'm on the computer which is directly in front of the cage, just the other side, my longer one sits there and seemingly watches me. It actually kind of creeps me out, because if I go lay down or something, he basically follows me and sits there and watches. He doesn't always do this, but I'd say several times a week. I also once took one of them out and left the glass not all the way closed and I was sitting on the bed handling him and I watched my littlest one come straight from one of the holes he was peering through and went straight through the crack in the two doors. Granted I only left it open because I didn't expect any of them to come out and I was only a few feet from the tank.

[Skiploder]

You know I always do.

I'm not worried about that guy. His links don't even work and he's yet to disprove what I've been saying all along. You're my best buddy Pit .

Where is your proof Neal - your experience with one friend's snake or perusing through videos? I'm confused as to why you would pick a forum fight based on so little direct experience with an animal.

I don't keep cobras, but I've handled them. After you and Crotalids did your little round of slap fighting on each other I asked a very good friend of mine who keeps rinkhals, coral cobras and true cobras (and has done so for years) and he laughed and claimed that they can strike from any angle, hooded or not, awkward or not. In fact he took a dry bite on his forearm from a taiwanese cobra that he estimates had to - while hooded - strike up almost 2' to hit him.

....and that anyone who perceives that their strikes are limited will be in for a nasty surprise. So, forget Crotalids, I wan't to get back to my friend Chuck and tell him he's wrong. Before I use you as an example, provide me with the ammo to do so.

[ViperSRT3g]

Well that's certainly a good thing to know. It would suck to assume a snake can't strike you from certain angles only to find out the hard way that it was only a myth.

[patientz3ro]

Since this is on par with a snake's learning capabilities... http://www.anapsid.org/smartsnakes.html

This is exactly what I've said for quite a while now. If you're using the same metrics to determine a snake's intelligence that you would use with say, a dog or a cat, you're only going to prove that the idiot in the room is NOT the snake. A very simple example is getting one of them to come to you when you call them. Saying a snake is less intelligent SOLELY because it won't come when called is ridiculous. They could be 4x more intelligent than the dog you're calling, but they're unable to hear you call.

Any animal with the mental capacity to react to sensory stimulus can learn to some degree, and that includes Ball Pythons. The problem with actively trying to teach them anything is figuring out HOW to teach them. You have to be able to think critically, which some people here clearly don't understand. Yes, there are limits to what they can be "taught," and what they can learn, but if you put a few of YOUR OWN brain cells to work, the limits are a bit further out than you probably think.

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[Neal]

Where is your proof Neal - your experience with one friend's snake or perusing through videos? I'm confused as to why you would pick a forum fight based on so little direct experience with an animal.

I don't keep cobras, but I've handled them. After you and Crotalids did your little round of slap fighting on each other I asked a very good friend of mine who keeps rinkhals, coral cobras and true cobras (and has done so for years) and he laughed and claimed that they can strike from any angle, hooded or not, awkward or not. In fact he took a dry bite on his forearm from a taiwanese cobra that he estimates had to - while hooded - strike up almost 2' to hit him.

....and that anyone who perceives that their strikes are limited will be in for a nasty surprise. So, forget Crotalids, I wan't to get back to my friend Chuck and tell him he's wrong. Before I use you as an example, provide me with the ammo to do so.

Skip, I still haven't seen it happen. So my original statement may of been wrong, but it was from the experience that I have. Yes I don't keep cobras so I don't see them daily and I don't see their feeding responses. So with all that said I may of been wrong. If so then I'll gladly admit that I am, but I have yet to see it happen, but that doesn't mean it hasn't or it can't happen. I don't claim to know everything, I was simply pointing out the Crotalids that I haven't witnessed it happen. Then I just asked him to provide proof, so that way I can see first hand and correct my information.

I haven't seen a man lift a vehicle, but I remember seeing something on the news ages ago about a man lifting a car off of a kid to save the kids life. I'm not saying it can't be done but I've not seen it. I probably should of put that in my experience I haven't seen one strike up from a hooded position, that probably would of saved the whole argument. The way I was approached put me in the wrong mood, so with you being a friend and somebody I respect a lot I find your approach a lot differently. So yea, I'm probably wrong, but again with my limited experience I've yet to see it. I'm actually glad I haven't because if I would of then I would of most likely gotten bit.

[NH93]

On another forum I peruse, someone has said that they seemed to have 'trained' their corn snake to poop in a specific garbage can. According to this source, what he intially did was take the snake out and hold it over said garbage can (I can't remember the colour of it... may or may not factor in) and wait for it to do it's thing. He did it for weeks, and apparently the snake only goes in the garbage can now.

My guess is he got it out and moving around to get the bowls going, then held it over the can and waited, and continued doing so for several weeks as he said. BUT the snake no longer goes in its vive, apparently. Even if he feeds it two meals, or doesn't take it out 'to poop' on the normally scheduled day to do so (my guess is about 3 days after eating).

Unfortunately I can't find the thread, and it was a few months ago... so I could be getting some details mixed up.

Regardless, what do you all think about that?

I think it is possible! Like, if you kept on a schedule as you would with feeding. It's a fun idea anyways kind of like litter training... ish.