Behavioral conditioning in snakes, is it common?

[kiiarah]

As I have observed Shesha over the last month and a half I have noticed certain behavioral patterns but until recently nothing that I would call conditioning. As of a couple of weeks ago I am starting to wonder just how good snakes are at learning cues and responding to them. Since Shesha is fed in his tank and he is on aspen bedding I have started cutting out a medium sized circle of paper plate to lay in front of his hide and place his F/T rat on. He still drags it through the aspen but I had been hoping that the "plate" would minimize ingested substrate at least while he is mouthing around and positioning his prey. His last four feedings have been conducted with this same system. Usually I will set the paper in the tank about 20-30 minutes before offering food so that if the movement in the tank makes him nervous he has a bit of time to relax and hopefully eat when food is offered.

The last couple of feedings he has seemed more confident (actually struck and constricted finally!) so I know he is getting used to the F/T feeders and quickly recognizes them as food these days. Last time I fed him I set the plate in and left to finish blow drying his rat. I returned with the rat in hand just a couple of minutes later, as this time I was in a hurry and didn't have enough time to pre-place the plate as I normally do, and found him with his neck extended out of his hide and his chin about two inches above the plate. This was unusual because every other time he has eaten he has stayed in his hide with his nose barely visible until the rat is actually on the plate in front of him. In the past it has seemed like the scent of the rat draws him out to investigate. He looked for all the world like he was expecting there to be a rat there and was looking for it. I don't want to assume too much, but my first thought was that he has learned that when the plate goes into his tank food is soon to follow. Has anyone else noticed snakes learning a feeding routine and anticipating prey? For what it is worth, I use a new plate each time so there is no residual scent and the rat was being prepared in another room so the scent shouldn't have been detectable in his tank until it was placed in there. Anyway, just curious and would love to hear your thoughts.

[Drako21]

I think that they do have the potential to learn and associate things. I've always put a paper towel down in front of whichever hide mine is in a few minutes before I feed him and usually every time he will poke his head out and coil his head back in anticipation for the rat that's coming, lol.

[kiiarah]

Too cool. I am about to jump on the science category on here and do some reading. I really think these guys are much brighter than some people give them credit for. Granted, I don't think they process things the same way that humans, or even mammals in general do, but they certainly don't seem to be nothing but instinct. I will be very curious to see if he does this again this coming Friday when it is time to feed him. It has only happened once and may have been an isolated event, but there really did seem to be deliberation there. Anyone else have any observations to share?

[knowzbleed]

from my experience i would say it has more to do with schedule than the plate itself. also, they can smell quite well. i used to place paper towel under my snakes hides where they would be swallowing the rats, one day i ran out of paper towels but went ahead to feed anyways. all my snakes were still half out of their hides anticipating feeding regardless of the lack of paper towel. despite all that, i do believe our snakes learn our personalities and habits just as we do theirs. they may not be able to purr or wag their tails, but my snakes can definitely tell me apart from my wife and visa versa. hope i helped

[Viol8r]

every time I sit in my snake room half of them will come out of their hides to the front of their tubs and move their heads back and forth waiting for it to open.

[calmolly1]

My 6m BP has 'learned' a few things thru repetition. She knows when we have finished our dinner in the evening that we will be getting her out soon. She waits by the door and climbs up my arm. Bringing the mice into the room has her coiled and waiting. And when she hunts she goes back to the places she found mice before flicking her tongue. It shows some form of memory and reasoning on instinctual level to help in survival.

[Daigga]

Of course snakes can be trained! Many keepers of the larger species will "hook train", where they utilize a snake hook to let the animal know it isn't being fed. The process it to use the snake hook whenever the handler goes in to hold or move the snake, they'll tap it on the sides with the hook, start to lift it before using hands, that sort of thing. This way the snake comes to understand it won't be fed whenever the hook is used (no hook on feeding day). It's a valuable tool for big, food responsive snakes that can cause a lot of bleeding on accident, and it's pretty cool to see.

[The Golem]

While they are limited they certainly can learn via observation, patterns and recognition. My Bp knows within minutes when the lights will change from day to night (red bulb), and I've seen him quickly learn his way around the living room that I let him crawl around through. He knows exactly how to quickly get from his enclosure, down off the desk, along the walls and to the hole in the wall to the next room. Even though I've covered it up he still goes to, trying to figure out a way to get past.
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[kiiarah]

Thanks everyone! I have heard of the hook training but always assumed that the snake was just responding each time by realizing the hook isn't food. Basically more of a individual response each time than a learned behavior, but that is a good point that they get used to what that means. He doesn't seem to know a feeding time per se, simply because my work schedule varies and he gets fed more within a 3-4 hour window than at a certain time each day. I just thought it was interesting that he could make the connection that something as unnatural as a plate coming from the sky could mean feeding time lol.

I have also noticed that he does seem to know who different people are. The behavioral cues here are pretty small but he definitely behaves and responds differently with me than with the kids or my husband, or even friends and family that come over. He has certain habits he only displays when I handle him. I have marveled at this since I got him because he seems so so trusting with me, and as an animal that is not genetically domesticated I would expect him to always have a bit of nervousness around any human. He is so calm with me that I can pet his head/neck and nuzzle his cheek and he doesn't even flinch. However, when the boys go to pet him he is much more likely to pull back or stop flicking his tongue. It is like he is just less secure with other people and is more likely to act defensively over small things. Maybe it has something to do with how comfortable I am with him. It sure seems that they can sense people's intentions and state of mind, and that if the handler is nervous the snake will be too. Still though, I never see any signs of stress or fear when I hold him.

There isn't any major difference between how I handle him and how others handle him, but it is things like when he gets startled (say by something moving quickly near him) he calms back down instantly with me, but with anyone else he will stay tensed much longer before relaxing and going back to exploring. There are plently of times too that I do something like move my arm in front of him and he doesn't pull back or respond at all even though I have seen others do the same thing and he does panic. I would really love to know just how "bonded" they can be to their keepers. I have seen many people argue that snakes just tolerate people handling them but never enjoy or fully adjust to it, but I don't know, my direct experience with him sure seems to indicate otherwise.