can a python tell whos its owner is?

[Mindibun]

I don't even want to get involved in this debate because Ive spoken my mind before. This is a never ending argument and I don't think my two cents thrown into the pile will result in a conclusion. BUT, I would like to comment on something Connie had said:

If your snake recognizes you as the warm object that does not drop him, then kudos! That's all he thinks when he smells or feels you. You're the big thing that bothers him everyday while he's trying to sleep. You have been holding him and teaching him to tolerate being held by you. He feels safe enough that you wont eat him. Good job.

When you put him back in his cage after holding him, he will either go to the place he knows as home, or he will try to flee in distress. Or as some call it "Come back out to play with me".

It seems to me that you feel very strongly about your views on the matter, and so you're presenting them as fact. I respect your views, and happen to agree with some of them. I also understand that we all have a tendency to blur the line between opinion and fact from time to time. But in this instance I wanted to speak up about it. The examples that you've given there are completely dependent on each individual snake and handler. When you say, "If your snake recognizes you as the warm object that does not drop him, then kudos! That's all he thinks when he smells or feels you." Well, you don't KNOW that's what he's thinking do you? This whole debate got started because NO ONE knows what the snakes are thinking. Also, you said, "You're the big thing that bothers him everyday while he's trying to sleep." And this varies by handler. Personally, I rarely pick up my snake when she's sleeping. If I need to clean or whatever, ok - that warrants bothering her. But otherwise, I wait until I see her out and about to handle her. It's unfair to assume that EVERYONE is always "bothering" their snakes. And one last thing: "When you put him back in his cage after holding him, he will either go to the place he knows as home, or he will try to flee in distress." Again, this will vary by each individual animal. My snake rarely returns to her hide after a handling session. She'll usually cruise about the tub for a little while (probably checking to make sure I didn't change my mind and decide to drop in a mouse). She doesn't "flee in distress" and she doesn't go back in her hide.

You even state here that it varies from snake to snake:

I also believe that some snakes are more skittish than others and can be worked with everyday, but deep down their hard wiring wins out. Wild animals aren't supposed to be comfortable with us to ensure their species survival, some don't ever get over that.

So I don't really think it's fair for you to push your views on others as hard facts. State them as your opinion only. We all have different opinions on the subject and we're all entitled to voice them. But we should try to keep an open mind. At least, that's how I feel about it.

Edit: I wanted to add that I think the number of animals a handler has in their collection can make a difference as well. For instance, Connie (I'm sorry Connie. I don't mean to pick on you, it's just that your name is in my head now.) has quite a few animals in her collection and she doesn't feel that they can recognize their owner or feel "loyalty" towards that person. I, on the other hand, only have the two animals in my collection. Naturally, I am able to spend more time with each and I *do* feel that they are capable of recognizing their owner. Maybe this is because I have spent more time with my animals so they "know" me better, whereas Connie has spent less time with her animals so they haven't gotten to "know" her as well.

This is just an example, and only a hypothesis. For all I know, Connie has tea and crumpets with each and every one of her reptiles every afternoon. -lol- I hope I made myself clear. I must have edited this three times, just trying to rephrase things so that they made more sense. It's late and I've done the best I can do. I'm done now.