I grew up keeping a lot of colubrids, with a sparse collection of smaller boas, and one Ball Python. Experience with those guys had me thinking that snakes couldn't have any visual acuity beyond 5 feet or so.

My '03 female BP has drastically changed my opinion on this however. I cannot possibly test her vision to a finite level, but I will say I was very impressed. I got her when she was a yearling from a college kid who didn't know what he had (though she was locally CBB) and just didn't want to deal with keeping "it" anymore. She had not been kept in humid enough conditions, so her eyes scales were quite wrinkled, but she didn't have any other health problems - not even any retained eye scales.

About six months or so after I got her, it became pretty apparent that she had a ridiculous preference for my husband (who is only slowly becoming a snake person). They're gaga over each other and I can't explain it. My husband won't give any of the other snakes a second glance.

Well, somewhere around the time that we could tell she behaved differently when I held her or when my husband held her, I also noticed that she would behave differently while in her cage if she was out and about and saw my husband from across the room. The room she is housed in is over 10 feet long. She acted like she recognized my husband from across the room! And this with wrinkled eye scales!!

However that was accomplished, I think it's pretty cool. There is always more to learn about these guys!

~Rebecca
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0.1 Dumeril's Boa '04 (Courtney)
1.2 Ball Pythons



0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

[ Hide Replies ]

• vision question - ssStacey, Tue Nov 14 21:55:13 2006
• better than I would have given credit 4 - amarilrose, Wed Nov 15 22:08:26 2006
• she might recognize him by his heat ... - johnavilla, Thu Nov 16 09:48:25 2006
• across the room through glass?? n/p - amarilrose, Thu Nov 16 10:36:08 2006
• don't know much... - johnavilla, Wed Nov 22 09:26:52 2006
• RE: better than I would have given credit 4 - ssStacey, Thu Nov 16 13:31:52 2006