Posted by:
DMong
at Sat Oct 29 14:45:12 2011 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by DMong ]
Yes, getula as well as many other types of colubrids primarily hunt with scent cues in conjunction with movement. Snakes are not wired to notice what things are when they are sitting still and not moving. Snakes also seem to be aware that if prey is close by and they KNOW it is from the scent, that will generally wait until the prey moves to strike. Many animals seem to realize that when their prey is still, it too is FAR more likely to see the snake moving toward them. I have done alot of observing this over the years and always noticed that if live prey was tossed in the cage, the snakes would generally tend to move in slow methodical increments toward the prey when the rodent was meandering around checking out the surroundings, then when the prey held still, the snake would too and the snake would tend to wait until the rodent went back to moving again for the snake to go toward it closer still. A perfect example of stalking if I ever saw it!
Snapping turtles would do this as well under water with little groups of minnows that were swimming around in the tank. They would stalk them ever so carefully and methodically just like the snakes did, or the way a tiger or lion crouches down and takes as long as it has to for just the right moment to help ensure that it was successful.
Anyway, many albino animals(including humans) that have no melanin for the eye to properly absorb light do have trouble with bright light being refracted and bounced around within the eye. But in much lower light conditions such as in a snake room, this doesn't seem to be anywhere near as detrimental to their sight as direct bright outdoor sunlight would. I have read many things in the past regarding the dynamics of how the eye works, and there is no doubt in my mind that amelanistic animals would be bothered with bright light situations.
~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing" 
serpentinespecialties.webs.com
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RE: vision problems in albinos? - DMong, Sat Oct 29 14:45:12 2011