Yes. My BPs are like that especially the one I've had since he was tiny. Even when my husband is holding Byron (and he handles him quite a lot too), Byron will stretch out towards me. He also comes up and "kisses" me on the lips or nose with his tongue. He also rubs his head against my cheek (sweet). My other BP, whom I've only had for three weeks (he's a rescue and was neglected by previous owners - at least they gave him to a rescue centre and I adopted him) is a little shyer but is now beginning to relax with me. He sat draped on my shoulders watching TV for quite some time earlier tonight.


As for hearing. The "experts" say snakes are deaf and can only feel vibration due to the fact that they don't have eardrums etc. Well, none of us have been inside a snakes head so we can't know what they can hear or even how they hear, be it sound (hearing like we do) or vibration. If it's vibration, then that is a form of hearing too. I'm sure they can differentiate between different sounds or vibrations. When it's feeding time on a Sunday I heat up the rodents in the kitchen with a hairdryer. Last Sunday was a really good example. I remarked to my husband that the snakes were in their hides. I went into the kitchen and started heating up the rodents. For some reason I stopped what I was doing and went back into the living room. Where the BPs viv is would be about 12 yards from the kitchen. I glanced at their viv and both were out of the hide ready and waiting for their meal. Now they could have smelt the rodents but on the other hand they may have "heard" the hairdryer. As an experiment, I'll switch the hairdryer on without warming the rodents and see what they do on Sunday. You've got me thinking now.

A few weeks ago, my two Boas were in their hide with their heads poking out (their viv is also in the living room). It wasn't feeding day. One of my cats knocked his feeding bowl off the shelf in the kitchen (the bowl's made of stainless steel). I was watching the Boas at the time. Two heads turned simultaneously towards the kitchen!

Another thing that intrigues me is, if snakes are deaf and can hear no sound, then, apart from a defence mechanism, why do they hiss to warn off unwanted attention? What would be the point of hissing if you can't hear yourself hiss to warn off predators?

I think overall we know very little about snakes. What they hear, what they think etc. The vast majority of people abhor snakes so it's easy to write them off as being deaf, unintelligent animals. It makes it easier to say "Ugh. Disgusting, slimy, horrible creatures. I wouldn't go near one of them". Show that a snake has intelligence, can hear and can be affectionate (in their own way), then you have a different ball-game and everything nasty that's been instilled in most people suddenly gets turned on it's head - and that wouldn't suit the various groups who think that snakes shouldn't be kept as pets.

My snakes are friendly, affectionate in their own way and equally will let me know when they don't want to be handled or disturbed just like my cats do. When my cats don't want to be petted or stroked, they jump down or disappear out the cat flap. I also know when not to disturb the snakes, usually at shedding time - I keep a close watch on them without disturbing them - like to make sure they're OK. I don't disturb them either for 2-3 days after they've fed. I wouldn't like it if someone picked me up after I'd had a big meal so I afford the snakes the same courtesy.

Whether snakes can hear or not, whether they're intelligent or not, whether they have affection for their owners or not, they absolutely fascinate me and I love them to bits.