I think I asked you earlier what your concept of bonding was. I would like to know because it seems like yours might be alot more strict than what I have in mind when I use the term.

I don't think bonding means it has to be for life or that other snakes can never be added or lost to the bond or group. Pretty much it just means that they recognize each other as individuals and treat those within the group differently than they treat those outside of the group. And that certain individuals may perform certain functions within a group.

This is just something that might be grou behavior. A female lays eggs. She stays near them or continually returns to them in order to be there when they hatch. She recognizes them and will not eat them unless her instinct is overridden by starvation.She's may not be aware of it but she is staying near them so that when the babies hatch they will see her. The babies hatch and bond to her. They follow her scent to hibernacula, water sources, hunting sites, etc. If one or more of those babies will follow her trail but not other snakes' trails then they are bonded to her. This is just a hypothetical scenario but would you call that bonding if it were true? It doesn't seem far fetched to me at all.
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