Thanks,



Not to hijack my own reply, but I will.



In nature, what is even more interesting is. Each local can be as different in behavior as different species.



That is, Pyros from one mountain or mountain range, do have behaviors predicted by that local. As such, they are behaviorally different, then the next mountain, mountian range, or even canyon.



They are so behaviorally different, that they as a colony do not recognize other pyros as pyros. This is a concept that escapes many here.



Many here, go by books, if the book calls them the same, who cares what they call eachother. Well they care, thats who.



So yes, different colonies, behaviorally consider themselves different and they do not read our books or do Mtdna samples. They are HOW they behave and how they smell.



More accurately, they are what they smell like. If a snake does not smell like a member of their colony, then its not. its that simple. They have no need to go farther then that. If its not us, then eat it or drive it off, or ignore it.



More thread hijack, in nature, what helped us to understand these animals was placement. We think directly along the line of a level field. That is, snakes are together, if sitting next to eachother, on eachother, etc. On a floor or flat plain, etc.



Yet in nature, that is only a small part of the game. In nature, they live in a rubics cube. That is, part above the ground, part under the ground and part on the ground. So a pair can be "together" if one individual is one small rock above the other, on a branch next to the other. Or one over and one up, etc. Or coiled on the ground.



As in different parts of the rubics cude. We limit our interpitation to one plain, they do not. We think simplistically, they do not bother to think about that.



Then couple that with their "world of smell" They do not have to be in direct flesh contact to be together, but they must be in direct olfactory contact to be together. That is, they use scent markings, scent trails, as well as physical contact to define what being together is.



We often find snakes coil in waiting, Well there are many reasons for this, one is ambush feeding and their coils will give that away, another is to SIT on a scent of their mate. They wait there until there mate returns. of course, they may be waiting for the sun, etc. again there are clues. But to figure that out, you must not distrub them, and you must be patient and WATCH. Most herpers including researchers cannot keep their friggin mitts off the snakes.



If you watch your snakes, and I mean to the smallest degree, you should notice, they become aware by sight, but that has to be confirmed by smell, then by physical contact. That is, one individual will see the other, crawl up and smell the other, then touch the other, then decide to attract or repell the other individual.



If snakes left slime trails like snails, our understanding of their behavior would be WAY better. hahahahahahahaha



Now for a rant. Most including our researchers are so simplistic, they only go by(research) one element of what snakes do, like, we found them apart or together, physically. They do not investigate deep enough to learn to "SEE" trails, scent trails, etc. The before and after tell you more then the moment you found them.



Some of this is so simple, a newbie with two eyes can do it. Even one eye! like take a captive snake place it outside and watch it. See what it does. Most don't because of all manner of fears, just like the fears they have about keeping.



The individual snakes normally, crawl a short distance, then retract, they follow their previous trial and extend it, then retract, etc etc. They do this is NOT threatened. Of course if your chasing them, they run. Guess what, mice do the same. They tell you they are most comfortable following their own scent trail. Again, watch their tongues.



The problem is study methods, in the past and currently, the study methods are based on biology, not ethlogy. Biology is physical properties. Not behavioral properties. Phyiscal properties are A B C D E F G etc, behavioral properties are the areas between those letters and how they interact with eachother. And they do not have to be in order, and consistant. Biology wants consistancy. Behavior wants tendencies.



Again, in captivity, most want A B C. unfortunately, behavior does not do that. Behavior controls that. hahahahahahahahahaha Biology is the machine, behavior is the driver.



Most here keep the machine parked in the garage and wonder why it won't run. hahahahahahahahaha Ok I am off to being silly again. later

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