Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is probably a bit on the random side, but... have your ball pythons ever shown you, as their keeper, any form of affection? I've had my female for about three months now, and there have been a few times, when I've been changing her water, that she's poked her head out of her hide box to see what's going on... (but then again, she does the same thing when I drop a mouse in!) or has come over to the side of the cage to see me when I stop to check up on her... and on many occasions, she has absolutely refused to go back into her cage when I'm trying to put her away (hanging onto the side as tight as she can.)

Now, my college psych teacher would swear up and down that pet owners tend to chalk up animals' normal instinctive behaviors to affection simply because we have the need to think that they actually appreciate our devotion to caring for them, but... talk to any dedicated pet owner, and it's another story entirely.

So, basically... all I'm really wanting to know is, as ball python lovers, would you consider your snakes to actually like you, or simply tolerate you?

hehe....I think mine just tolerate me. They have me pretty much wrapped around their fingers. They may be pissy for several days, refusing to let me touch them. Then suddenly they decide I'm cool, and they wrap around my arms, climb over me, whatever.
I think THEY are the wiser species here...after all, we are putting all of our time and money into them and no one is doing it for us!
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Jamie

Cool question, I love this type of discussion! It may be wishful thinking, but I do think Monty actually likes me. He always wants to come out and be held, clings tightly to me to avoid being put back in his cage, and no matter who is holding him, he will look at me. If several people are around, and he is put on the floor, he will go straight to me. I have even done paperwork while wearing him as a "bracelet", and he is totally content there.

On the other hand, he DID disappear into my apartment for 5-1/2 months and did not seek me out THEN..........

Wendy

Almost any snake that isn't afraid of humans will show curiosity about them, even if they don't know you. I have a venomous snake that I've never held who comes right up to my hand from the other side of the glass. Many snakes also don't like being unwrapped from a hand and put back in their cage.

What kind of venemous snake do you have? What do you do with a snake like that?

Rob Woods

The one in question is a desert horned adder (Cerastes cerastes). I do the same thing with him I do with my other snakes, except no handling . He's immensely fun to obvserve, especially his hunting methods. Vipers are just so different from other snakes. I also have a rattlesnake, who doesn't enter into this discussion because she is still very fearful of humans, although she is calming down somewhat.
As a note to the below post, he was still very curious about me even during his winter feeding strike, when he wouldn't even kill the mice, let alone eat them. Of course, now that he's eating again, he'll once in a while try to strike at me from behind the glass, just in case I'm tasty. I know it's not from fear because they have this saw-scaling thing they do if they're afraid.
I don't know if any of my almost-40 snakes like me or my husband over other people, because we're basically the only ones who handle them. But I do believe that snakes can tell us apart by smell. And I do believe they can feel trust, if maybe not what we'd call love.
Also, they probably can tell when people are nervous, and that might enter into them 'handling' differently for different people. Heck, snakes with heat pits know if you're blushing. They do seem intelligent out of proportion to their tiny little brains sometimes .

Yes, he always shows curiosity about people. My point was more that he will choose me over anyone else to go to when given the choice. I would like to call this affection, but it could also be simple recognition of me as the one who bestows mouse-manna from the heavens, as seems to be the case with your venemous guy. If we only knew what was happening in those little snake brains......

Wendy

I feel that although not all of my BP's are affectionate I am certian that Margaret my three year old female knows and likes me. Through the years I have owned several snakes but this one stands out from all the rest. I do handle her a lot and she never gets ancy or scared.

There have been a few times were I will take her out of the cage and place her on my bed while I watch a movie and she will just lie there or she may wander around a little bit. Now this doesn't show affection however, what would you say if I told you that she will then craw back to were she started from? The only thing I can compare it to is the way a dog will survey new area before resting at its masters feet.

Also I get a feeling that when I got out of town on business for a few weeks and return she knows I am back and is looking for affection from me.

Maybe I am crazy but that is the way I feel, I love my snake, I hope they love me.
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Norvolt

Harrisburg, PA