call me crazy...

[Salamander Rising]

I have this ball python and I know that people say they don't get attached to humans or don't prefer a human or whatever.. but honestly.. i kiiiinda feel like my snake likes me more than other people. Other people hold him and he's all squirmy and just wants to move around and explore. he's a very relaxed and trusting guy (: but when i hold him, he just like.. get's comfortable wrapped around my arm or in-between my fingers and just hangs out and doesn't squirm. just stays completely still. he isn't tense or frozen. if i want to move his body around he's like jello. he just lets me do it. but he stays still unless i move him! other people will hold him and he's very very head shy when someone touches his nose or head at all. but when i touch his head he doesn't even move his head away. i lay in bed and watch tv and i let him roam around on my bed and i watch him, but i'll pick him up and put him on my stomach and not handle him, let him go if he wants to but he just hangs out on my stomach, relaxed as ever and lets me pet his little head. my room mate does the same exact thing with him.. he wonders off somewhere else and she keeps trying to bring him back. other people try to hold him and he just doesn't stay still. am i crazy.. or does my snake like me? haha like is this really possible?

Alice zonks out on my lap and uses my hand as a chin prop.



No matter which of my snakes I've got out, if hubby comes along and tries to interact with them, they zip under my shirt or up my sleeve.

Even big ol' love-bunny Bob the Boa does the dodging "No! G'way! Not the mom!" thing if hubby tries to interact with him.
Last night Bob was wrapped around me when hubby walked in the room and at first, Bob periscoped over to check out the new thing and then zoomed back onto my shoulder and peeped out from under my hair at hubby.

They're all "my snakes".

I don't know if others 'move wrong', 'smell wrong' or 'feel wrong' to them but apparently I'm 'just right'.

When I first got Alice, he clung tightly to my arm whenever I'd move around while carrying him.

Now he just dangles like a limp, 4 foot snake noodle because he knows he's never going to be 'dropped'.

I'm not sure if they're capable of "love" but they definitely can prefer one person over everyone else.

It could very well be as simple as "trust".



- - - Updated - - -

I don't think snakes feel any sort of appreciation even for us feeding them. I don't think they're intelligent enough to connect the idea of being fed with safety. I think it really is just a scent thing. Also, different people handle snakes differently. You get used to handling your snake. Another person might hold them too tightly, or differently than you do. So it's a combination of a familiar scent and familiar methods of handling.

I wish you could be here every Friday/feeding day.

Starting in the morning, I'm 'tracked' by dozens of little snake eyes, noses smooshed against their tubs, wanting night to come so they can get their noms.

If hubby walks by them, they scoot back into their hides.

I think they do associate their person with food/security on some level.....