Wild Morphs

[Bogertophis]

Years back when I bred some California native rosy boas, it was from healthy unrelated w/c* local snakes (*not caught by me- taken on from others that lost interest). What made me very proud of them was that they seemed to be snakes that would survive if wild. Why? They were born "biters" & ready to take on prey- not the most ideal pet snakes- not "sweet & docile" like most people want, but serious little predators that bit readily. It's not only fancy colors that diminish a snake's ability to survive, but their attitudes. The opposite often happens with c/b snakes- even the wimpy ones are coaxed along, & force-fed if they won't eat. Not saying that's right or wrong when they're pets, but you end up with weaker snakes in the long-run- not what nature demands. Snakes need to eat to thrive & survive, just to get to breeding size.

[YungRasputin]

Years back when I bred some California native rosy boas, it was from healthy unrelated w/c* local snakes (*not caught by me- taken on from others that lost interest). What made me very proud of them was that they seemed to be snakes that would survive if wild. Why? They were born "biters" & ready to take on prey- not the most ideal pet snakes- not "sweet & docile" like most people want, but serious little predators that bit readily. It's not only fancy colors that diminish a snake's ability to survive, but their attitudes. The opposite often happens with c/b snakes- even the wimpy ones are coaxed along, & force-fed if they won't eat. Not saying that's right or wrong when they're pets, but you end up with weaker snakes in the long-run- not what nature demands. Snakes need to eat to thrive & survive, just to get to breeding size.

i think this is dependent on a lot of things - the species of the snake being 1 i think because i think some are naturally more shy, docile, etc - to which i think that would be only drawn out more in a stable captive environment

i also think it depends on the environment given - not to be a b-word or anything but i think it only stands to reason that snakes would be products of their environment just like any other animal - so, if you have a highly intelligent animal in a box with nothing but newspaper and a water bowl, it probably would be lethargic and bored and to the same token, if you had a nice naturalistic enclosure with which the snake could properly engage in, they would probably act more akin to how they would in nature because that’s what the enclosure would allow

like for example - my African rock has access to climbing stuff, multiple hides, plants to hide in, large water bowl to soak and swim in, etc - so i am always catching him being active at night and up to things or in various different spots throughout the day - but that couldn’t be possible if he didn’t have the opportunity

and per your comments about biting and so on - i also think using my African rock as an example here would be interesting because he is by far the most timid snake i have however he also slams prey with a disproportionate force that makes it seem unreal given his size and my sense from this is, given that there is no real reason for them to be on edge or in fear given the lack of natural predation concerns, their real personalities can then shine thru - his happens to be a shy boi lol

another interesting example i think - separate from reptiles - would be chimpanzees where in the wild, if scarcity is present they can turn into cannibalistic gangs whereas on nature reserves where their is actual abundance and scarcity is not the case they behave the complete opposite and are a v social, collectivist group - in this respect, i feel here too it could be said that their true personalities where able to shine thru given this

[Malum Argenteum]

"i also think it depends on the environment given - not to be a b-word or anything but i think it only stands to reason that snakes would be products of their environment just like any other animal - so, if you have a highly intelligent animal in a box with nothing but newspaper and a water bowl, it probably would be lethargic and bored and to the same token, if you had a nice naturalistic enclosure with which the snake could properly engage in, they would probably act more akin to how they would in nature because that’s what the enclosure would allow "

I've run across some interesting discussions of WC vs CB rosy boas. It seems that rosies in the wild virtually never bite when captured, although they can develop the tendency after time in human custody. That foody behavior seems more an artifact of captivity, not only because it is reportedly rare in freshly WC specimens but also since it isn't unusual for captive rosies to try to eat literally anything (actually constricting sweatshirts, striking at water bowls and new breeding partners). Attempting to eat non-prey items (including human hands) sure seems more pathological than adaptive.

[Gio]

"so, if you have a highly intelligent animal in a box with nothing but newspaper and a water bowl, it probably would be lethargic and bored and to the same token, if you had a nice naturalistic enclosure with which the snake could properly engage in, they would probably act more akin to how they would in nature because that’s what the enclosure would allow "
"

Naturalistic enclosures are nice, I'm an advocate for setting up as many options for the snake as reasonably possible. A naturalistic enclosure is only our interpretation of nature. The snake doesn't "care" about much beyond the basics to sustain life.

The caging I use has a pleasing look me. I like the fake plants and the realistic hides, whatever realistic actually is. Climbing and perching options certainly have benefits when housing semi arboreal animals, and are a necessity when caring for completely arboreal snakes.

Some of the best examples I can think of that may defy human perception of what a wild snake would choose for a living quarters are in Australia.

I happen to own a Brisbane, locality, coastal carpet python. Coastal carpet pythons are a very, very common snake in east/southeast Australia.


There are hundreds of examples of that locale and others that don't live in the bush. Instead they have chosen to move into attics, garages, under porches or in yard debris.

Photos of some of the snakes in attics show next to nothing around them other than old sheds, urates, and feces. Nothing we humans would approve of for a setup. A lot of these animals are huge, thriving examples that seem to have occupied their quarters for quite some time.

I find the carpet group to be very adaptive capitalizing on human encroachment. Still wild, still in the wild, but not our perception of a wild type enclosure or what we'd think of first when thinking about where a wild snake would live.

I don't personally prefer a sterile cage with newspaper substrate, but I certainly can't knock the setup. When you are able to find healthy wild snakes living under sheet metal or cardboard in a garage or shed it certainly makes you think about what the "ultimate environment" for a snake is.

There are obviously many variables, but it's a safe bet to assume a snake that has all its needs met will stay put and show little preference between newspaper or natural substrate or what our ideas of the "perfect living quarters" are. Mating behavior may cause permanent or temporary relocation though.

[jmcrook]

I don't personally prefer a sterile cage with newspaper substrate, but I certainly can't knock the setup. When you are able to find healthy wild snakes living under sheet metal or cardboard in a garage or shed it certainly makes you think about what the "ultimate environment" for a snake is.

Well said my friend. It's important that keepers acknowledge that these animals are all individuals and have different personal preferences.

Sure, a species may be well known for being outgoing/inquisitive/etc but some individuals are very shy and reclusive. I have 4 carpets. No two of them have the same behaviors, cage activity, etc. I have 6 boas. There are some shared traits but each of them behaves in their own distinct ways.

I've even found that some of my animals display more "natural" behaviors the more minimally I decorate their enclosures. Just the opposite with others. We have to keep in mind that the "naturalistic" design of many of our enclosures is more for the keeper than the kept, even if the animals do utilize much of the amenities we afford them. I have animals in fully decked out enclosures down to minimalistic tubs in racks. All are thriving. There are many ways to do things right and many ways to do things wrong. It's good to take it slow when starting out, try lots of different things, take notes as to how it impacts the animals as well as your methods of keeping them.

All this is I guess to say OP, try not to paint with too broad a brush or make too many assumptions this early in keeping snakes. We're in the golden age of reptile keeping but that can be a blessing and a curse. Lots of information out there and a lot of it is garbage. Got to sift through the dirt to get to the gold.

Hope this isn't too ramble-y but I've got to get back to work. No time for edits.