Snake tricks

[Kaorte]

None of this sounds like out of the ordinary "trained" ball python behavior.

In fact, I'd say almost all ball pythons exhibit similar behavior.

Also... you know they can't hear you right?

Sorry. I'm just extremely skeptical of a ball python being trained.


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[DLena]

They don't hear the way we do, but they do process the vibrations in the air created by sounds.

[Kaorte]

They don't hear the way we do, but they do process the vibrations in the air created by sounds.

Sure but they don't respond to sounds like a dog or cat. As in, you can't call them to you. They might see you, smell you, or detect your heat, but they can't really "hear" you.

Just sayin.


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[zina10]

They don't hear the way we do, but they do process the vibrations in the air created by sounds.

You'd have to holler quite loudly to create sound waves they could "feel" while sitting in their hides, though.

[cletus]

Mine is really good at flipping her hides. She makes me crazy.

[FlynnTheBP]

How do you reward them though?

x2. Do you use food or just massage them?

[FlynnTheBP]

Sure but they don't respond to sounds like a dog or cat. As in, you can't call them to you. They might see you, smell you, or detect your heat, but they can't really "hear" you.

Just sayin.


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Maybe the heat detection is what draws them out. I mean if the snake comes to you I guess it doesn't really matter how it knows you are there.

[Eric Alan]

Maybe the heat detection is what draws them out. I mean if the snake comes to you I guess it doesn't really matter how it knows you are there.

This.

Your head is the warmest part of your body (that is normally left exposed) and is almost exactly the same temperature as a rat's body. Your hands are next on the warmth scale. Nearly every behavior you have described can be attributed to this. While it can be cute when they "kiss" you, keep it in the back of your mind that they give very similar kisses to rats just before making them disappear.

[JodanOrNoDan]

We all are having a little fun with this one, but honestly you can reinforce behaviors in just about any animal. I know that my snakes cannot hear in the way we do but they will respond to certain vibrations. I talk to my animals constantly which is hilarious because I know they cannot hear me. I think what really happens when people talk is they calm themselves. The animal can sense the calm and they will respond in kind.

I know that ball pythons can be trained to do things that they at least want to do though. This is evident in ways I have dealt with problem feeders. When I buy animals, I normally buy them as adults or sub-adults. If I have a project in mind I like to start immediately. It also allows me to have a good idea how the babies will look when they get older. Anyway, because of this, I have inherited quite a few problem feeders. A problem feeder to me is any animal that won't take FT within 30 seconds of it being offered. My most extreme case of training an animal to eat was an animal that was around three when I got her and had never had anything but live plus was already on a feeding strike when I bought her. She also refused to eat in her tub. It took about a year to get her eating FT in her tub. Step one put her in a tall covered tub. Let her smell the rat. Drop live rat in tub. Wait about a half hour for her to finally eat. Step two put rat in tub but hold by the tail. Step three, hold rat by tail and let it move against the side of the tub. Step four, put rat in and take back out about once every ten seconds until it was eaten. Once she was consistently striking within about ten seconds I switched to FT. I would wiggle the dead rat and bang it against the side of the tub. At this point she would strike so fast that she didn't notice it wasn't alive. Final step, feed in her own tub with the same method. She will now come half way out of the tub to eat just like most of my other breeders. I have never had to go to these ridiculous extremes with any other animal but she did learn and though I don't do it too often because I don't want to ruin my hard work I can make her "beg" for food by turning the lights out, partially opening the tub and knocking against the side with no rat.

I heard the other day people had conditioned honey bees to roll a ball. To the OP, keep training, its fun, the snakes can learn a little but they are not that bright so have patience.

People can joke around with me and call me crazy but its ok. I've trained all sorts of animals in my day. Ball pythons can be trained, maybe not to do anything impressive, but they can be trained.

[Craiga 01453]

Mine love to make poop or urates appear right after I give their enclosures a thorough clean