Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It was mentioned in the hide post, below, about conditioning snakes to surrounding activities. I have noticed that mine are accustomed to my movements, but get nervous when others are around. I have snakes all through my small house. My son moved out a few months ago (is back now, tho), so it was usually only me moving around. One night I was feeding, they knew it and were all out in anticipation. My son came in with a couple of friends, and that sent the snakes all back into hiding. That night I had to cover cages to get them to eat - something I don't usually have to do with most of them.

I have noticed that with many of my snakes, extra people in the room and near to them, makes them nervous when being handled.

Just some thoughts, wondering if others have experienced this with their animals.

Amy C.
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Amy Claiborne

'A government big enough to give you everything...is a government big enough to take it all away.'

I've noticed mine get used to my mammal pets--my dogs and cats. My boa used to freak right after we got our dogs, but now he just ignores them (they still spend hours staring at him through the glass though!). And I've got a small house snake in a 10 gallon tank...she's gotten used to my wife's cat perching on top of it.

And my retic eventually quit trying to eat the wife's cat through the glass

Yeah, there is no doubt in my mind that many snakes become accustomed to seeing movement in their immediate area, and can get very conditioned to it to varying degrees. Casual, steady movement is certainly seen as much less threatening to most than quick jerky movements of course.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Cats can be real butts can't they. You know they know exactly what they're doing. Mine like to do whatever it is that is most aggravating to me.
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Amy Claiborne

'A government big enough to give you everything...is a government big enough to take it all away.'

What are the rest named? JK. I think of the humane society putting animals down and I think of the poor and needy Retics....

That's cats for you, in their mind they own everything and the masters of the home. One of my sisters(8 years older then me) got a cat, it never bothered my snakes, but everytime I came back from the pet store with mice it would follow me into my room crying out and pawing my leg. It wanted those mice bad! Pretty funny really.

Scott

My wife's cats, and my dogs, will sit and stare at the mouse colony as long as you'll let them. Once my dog actually got a mouse that I dropped while getting it to a snake cage. It was sorta gruesome.

I'm sure your dog loved it! To him/her it was just one warm play toy........LOL!

Scott