Why Are Snakes Considered Dumb?

[Patricia]

I've seen mention of this more than once in my short time here, and it's being discussed in that "...disagree" thread.

Are snakes considered unable to learn anything? Or just BPs? If so, I have a story to tell that perhaps no one will believe re. slugs. Yes, slugs!

There's a little gap under our back door, enough for slugs to come inside. A few feet away from that back door are the dog and cat food bowls. (Slugs seem to prefer cat food over dog food.) I feed the cats very late at night, before I go to bed.

Eventually, a slug or two would appear late at night around the cat food bowls, and sometimes before the bowls were replenished. No other time of the day. Not even early evening or early night, but only late night, i.e. feeding time. They'd be gone by the morning. If I was extra late getting to the food bowls, the slug(s) would already be there, so it's not as if they smelled the food and then came in for chow time. They seem to have an internal clock and sense of direction to know exactly when to come in and where to go.

If slugs can learn that, and snakes seem higher up the scale of evolution, surely snakes are capable of learning.

[waltah!]

Anyone who thinks all snakes are "dumb" have never spent any time around a big retic.
Cool slug story though

[Freakie_frog]

I don't think snakes are dumb.. or even un-intelligent you talk to any one that keeps any snake but I know for sure retics, cobra's, mamba's, even boas than they'll tell you that they learn and remember.

[DM1975]

Food and feeding is more of a primal instinct, same as when fish in an aquarium look like they are happy to see you, they just know you=food but that is not a hard thing to learn so I would not necessarily say your slugs will be able to do trig, or even learn to jump (slow maybe) through any hoops.

I think snakes are a lot smarter than some think, or want to think compared tho their supreme beingness, but they are not going to play fetch with you either.

[temec]

people consider snakes to be dumb because they are not self aware

[Patricia]

I know for sure retics, cobra's, mamba's, even boas than they'll tell you that they learn and remember.

I'd love to hear stories about them. I find stuff like this fascinating, both the things we don't expect them to know that they do, and the things we do expect but they don't.

For example, what does not being "self aware" mean?

[ssballow]

Snakes aren't dumb? I haven't heard one speak!

No, really, If they are anything like us, I'm sure some are smarter than others and they all do stupid things from time to time. Also, most humans cannot do trig!

[Raptor]

people consider snakes to be dumb because they are not self aware

It's impossible to know if an animal is self aware or not. We can't exactly ask them this. For all we know, they could be.

I suppose that people consider snakes dumb because they don't engage in the normal mammilian/bird behaviors. In that case, being social. When mammals and some birds meet another of their kind, chances are, they're going to have a dispute over territory. As far as I know, snakes don't do this. They kind of ignore each other. They also don't care for their young.

I really think it's because snakes are so..Alien. THey have no hair/feathers, the young don't have the large forehead/eyes that trigger the cuteness reaction (although, anyone with an affinity for reptiles will dispute this), and they make a very unpleasant noise when upset.

[Christina]

Snakes can definitely learn. I talked about this idea in some long lost thread a very long time ago. But I'll repeat. When I got my snake and began to feed her, I created a routine. I would take all hides, water, thermometer, etc. out of the tank, leaving the hide she was in for last (no biting!) After a few weeks, I noticed that as soon as I took that hide away, she would "glance around" and suddenly fall into a very obvious hunting attitude, if you will. I am 100% positive that she was able to notice the cause and effect of the furniture being removed. When the tank was empty, a rat entered. She learned that empty meant food. This has worked well for the both of us so far, seeing as I've had her for 2 1/2 years and no bites (knock on wood)!

Snakes can definitely learn, and I believe that if an organism can adapt in that manner, they really shouldn't be considered dumb. And one last point- how many times do we find that we have little Houdinis on our hands?

[_Venom_]

If snakes never learned then they would never be able to be handled/get used to you.