Scary smart snake

[Salamander Rising]

This is for anyone who buys the "dumb little lizard brain" theory.

I was tending to my old dog this morning when I noticed my Pastel lap snake acting oddly in his tank.
[40 gallon with "Lucy lid" and 3 keyed locks]

He was stretched upward and 'smearing' himself across the OptiPlex somewhat like a windshield wiper.

I'm like "WTH?"

So I watched him.

After about 6 tries, his 'cheek' touched the latch inside the tank...and he froze.
Then he slowly worked his face up over the top of the latch, turned his head downward like somebody using a crescent wrench, pushed and opened the latch.

He then dropped down and headed for the next one.

By the time I got hubby out of the shop and into the house to see all this, the snake was working on the second latch.

The snake knows the latches keep him 'trapped' in there and knows how to open them.

Now I know why I keep finding him "stressing" in the early hours of dawn.

He's been carefully perfecting his escape routine.

Anybody else ever seen anything like this?



[when hubby took out the keys from the locks and told me that he couldn't open them now, he slid down the glass and just laid there looking dejected until he gave up and slithered back into his hide where he's now pointedly moping]

[rebelrachel13]

Never heard of any behavior like that before. I wish there was a video of it!!

[mattchibi]

Wow that does sounds scarily intelligent. It wouldnt amaze me if he just managed to get one latch loose, but the fact that he went for the second one is incredible! I agree, I would have grabbed a camera if I saw something like that

[Emily Hubbard]

I totally buy it. My girl is in a vision cage (sliding glass doors) and before I had a lock, she would jam herself in the track for the glass.... and start inching and inching her belly scales. She was not yet strong enough to move the glass, but I promptly ordered a lock. She has SO learned that the glass slides and was working out how to slide it. When I installed the lock, she spent two days running her tongue all around it. She knew it was going to be a foil in her plan.

I think they can figure out far more than we give them credit for.

[Ohlacey]

Oh wow. What an impressive little critter. How clever!! x)

They always do surprise me.

My little albino rearranges her tank every four or five days, seemingly in response to temperature and light. In the morning hours when the sun begins to come in, she pushes her hide off of the heating pad and against her water bowl on the far side of the terrarium that's shaded, and then moves it back after sunset. It's really odd to watch. She slithers in and then just pushes it over.

[AEnimaDrummer98]

I totally buy it. My girl is in a vision cage (sliding glass doors) and before I had a lock, she would jam herself in the track for the glass.... and start inching and inching her belly scales. She was not yet strong enough to move the glass, but I promptly ordered a lock. She has SO learned that the glass slides and was working out how to slide it. When I installed the lock, she spent two days running her tongue all around it. She knew it was going to be a foil in her plan.

I think they can figure out far more than we give them credit for.

I keep my BP in Vision 422 and she did this as well.

That makes me think she might be clever....

But then she will just slither and fall right off my bed unaware that there is nothing there and she will just fall off.

Makes me question intelligence...


BTW how do you heat your Vision? J/c

[BPnewguy]

Wow! I have never heard that one before. Not undoing one latch & heading for the second!

[kklepac]

One of my albinos occasionally gets on my laptop and logs onto this forum and makes posts in my name. I'm thinking of getting her her own login.

[Emily Hubbard]

I keep my BP in Vision 422 and she did this as well.

That makes me think she might be clever....

But then she will just slither and fall right off my bed unaware that there is nothing there and she will just fall off.

Makes me question intelligence...


BTW how do you heat your Vision? J/c

HAHA. Yeah intelligence seems to come and go... My snake went through a major falling off of things phase. They just look so pitiful when then fall! Piled in a little heap trying to right themselves, all confused wondering what on earth just happened.

I heat my vision with two heating pads: one is a large Fluckers that is controlled by a Hydrofarm thermostat. Then on the Cool side, I have a heat pad that is controlled by a dial (similar to a human heat pad, but for reptiles) I put it on the lowest possible setting and it brings up the cool side temp to 77-78ish. That is only for these cold months, I will unplug it when it warms up. If it is a really cold night, I will turn on a night lamp til morning. It sounds like a lot, but I am sure you have noticed that heating a Vision can be pain. I check temps everyday and with all of my heating implements, the warm side stays about 88 and the cool side about 78, 80 in the humid hide, which she uses every shed and is having perfect sheds. But I am going to buy a three snake rack this summer to replace my Vision. It looks really nice, but I want something more controlled. Plus, I'm getting my second snake in September. He/She will go in the Vision in the other room while in QT, then move into the rack I intent to buy

[Salamander Rising]

Never heard of any behavior like that before. I wish there was a video of it!!

I will be kicking my own butt for eternity because there was a camera not 6 feet away.

I was just so enthralled [and a bit concerned that there was something wrong with him] that it didn't occur to me to video it until it was too late.

Honestly, I had no idea what he was really doing until he connected that latch "just right" and flipped it.

I probably just lost my $10K chance at "World's Funniest Animals" videos....;D