Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can snakes see in color?

I mentioned in a previous post that I'm a sculptor and in thinking about what I'd like to make for a hiding place and a water dish I was thinking about bright, funky colors and how cool it'd be just to go sort of wild with the design. However, I don't want to stress the little guy out either if he's not used to colors, especially bright ones.

Lord, I sound like a paranoid new mother or something...

Thanks for putting up with my n00b questions!
Kel

I would think most colubrids and others that use sight instead of heat pits to see, would see in color. I would not see the sense in snakes that have such vivid coloring on them, not being able to see it. I understand that the markings are danger colors for other animals but I would think that the snakes have the ability to see them too. And if they can, I would avoid reds and bright yellows (stressful colors in the animal world)
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

well yes and no. they see like the predator in heat infrared detecting heat with there tongues. i read somewhere that no animals see in color cause they lack the tools in there eyes
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0.1 Albino Cal. King (Fokker)
1.0 Reverse Okeetee Corn (trouble)
0.1 Creamsicle Corn (Spot)
1.1 Bearded Dragons (Bob & Margret)
1.1 Dogs(George and Ladybird) they are rescues.
1.0 Betta
0.1 Wife
0.1 Kid

I don't think corns use infrared sensory detection of any type. They do use their tongues, but it is to taste the air for "smells" by way of their Jacobson's organ in their mouths.

I'd really be interested to see something that showed evidence of prey heat detection in hunting for corns, so please post it here, if I am way off base! But I just don't think that is the way things are for corns.
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

I've read in several books (i'll do some digging and find them so I can post author, title, etc...) that snakes all have a heightened sensitivity to heat and temperature changes. Because snakes, and all reptiles for that matter, are ectothermic they are normally significantly cooler than the air surrounding them. This allows snakes and other reptiles to perceive temperature changes with more sensitivity than mammals. While corns and other colubrids lack the heat sensing pits of rattlers and other similar vipers, I think they do sense minor temperature changes and respond to them. After all, I have two corns that stoically refuse to eat frozen/thawed and will only eat fresh killed. I'm almost positive that this behavior is linked with the temperature difference between a freshly killed mouse and one that was previously a mouse-cicle.

As for "no animals seeing in color" there is great debate about that. There have been studies shown that many of the larger parrots have the ability to distinguish colors and that their multi-layered retinas probably respond to different wavelengths at different layers. Giving them not only color perception, but also depth perception. The same has also been said about most species of jumping spiders. They have complex retinas coupled with refractive lenses that act like a telescope, giving them exceptional long-range vision, depth perception, and supposedly color. I haven't, however, read any such findings dealing with snakes. I do know they respond to shades of color, if not actual coloration. Again, referring to my own collection, I have an adult snow corn male that absolutely will not eat white mice or rats. He will, however, eat mice and rats that are gray, brown, or black. While I'm not saying he is responding to actual coloration, it's clear that he has a "preference" as far as gradation where shades are concerned.

All in all, I think both questions could use a bit of research, if the topics haven't already been covered in the research field previously. Those are just my opinions from what I've read and observed through my own collection of snakes.... My 2 cents as it were.

Just out of curiousity, how would one go about testing color-sensing in snakes?

I don't know about color, but I do know that some corns definitely prefer white mice to black, or vice-versa.
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

I don't disagree with corns reacting to heat in some respect; they obviously do in relation to thermoregulation requirements, and they may react more strongly to a warm prey item as opposed to a cooler one. However, I was addressing the idea that they sense heat with their tongues as was suggested. I don't believe there is any evidence of that, nor do I believe that corns rely on heat for the detection of prey items like vipers do.
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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

I was just watching the national Geographic Channel and Spiders see in full color (I have no idea how they know) but many animals react to colors. Bees will go after black and reds, birds of prey will avoid Coral Snake mimics (that is the reason they are mimics LOL) I even saw where bears can determine the differance between poison red berris and blueberrys (but I guess that could be by smell as well)
So many animals do see in color.
The heat aspect, well yes I assume that corns do sense heat to a point, but no where near the ability of the Boids. They have developed a better sight sense then the older snakes.
thanks
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com