Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have two corns and just got a ball python. It might just be in my head but the ball python seems to pick up on stuff quicker that the corns and seems to have more personality.

I realize that snakes are dumb as bricks but what I was wondering is which of the bricks is the brightest in the load?

From yalls experience what kinds of snakes seem the smartest or seem to have the most personality? Also on another note, which snakes seem to be the most curious (i am not hoping for friendly) as opposed to shy or mean?

I think a boa constrictor (BCI) would be my next snake if i get another one, but i am going to stick with what i got for a while.

Most people who have dealt with a lot of species of snakes tend to agree that King Cobras are among the most intelligent of snakes.

Of course, that makes them a lot dumber than the stupidest bird, but they may be smarter than other snakes at least.

People with Indigo snakes say they are more interactive than other species (which indigo snake people consider a measure of "intelligence".

I have dealt with thousands and kept hundreds of snakes and never found one that showed any signs of "intelligence". There were some that could learn where the food usually appeared and some that figured out/found creative ways to escape their cages, but never have I seen one show any more intelligence than turtles I have dealt with.
-----
Chris Harrison
San Antonio, TX

Just what I was going to say, king cobras and Indigos. Turtles are definitely smarter then snakes. Crocodilians probably come in second.

While some snakes just seem to mindlessly squirm away, and are constant movement, boas and pythons seem more intelligent. It's because they are more calm and look around and seem to take in their enviroment more. They look around and notice things more, like the ceiling fan above them etc. Now, I think you asked which snakes "seem" to be the more intellegent, so I'm answering from my observations of which "seems" to be. I'm certainly not suggesting either are intellegent, snakes have a brain the size of a pea, and basicly just have drives like thirst, hunger, reproduction, defend/escape and that's about it. And come to think about it, considering we are the most dangerous, destructive animal to walk the face of the earth, the one that is constantly squirming to get away probably is making the more intellegent decision.

-----
1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback
0.1 Spouse
8 ball python eggs due any day now!

I'm agreeing with UAW, I mean seriously, when's the last time you heard a snake coming home and beating his wife because dinner wassn't ready for him. And how many wars have snakes started?? I have more compassion for my fuzzy and or scaley friends than I do for humankind sometimes!!!

Actually, in most cases if a snake has a problem with a neighbor they just eat them. And as far as I know Marriage between them is not recognized in the U.S. although they probably have a better chance then Homosexuals to become legally married.

i think corns are smarter, at least when it comes to eating f/t because they know exactly what to do and get it done my balls seem to play a bit, they are all curios tho
-----
jake

my addiction:
2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1 amelenistic corn snake (mazy)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)

I’ve had an eastern hognose, a corn snake, a ribbon snake, a fox snake, and now I own an indigo. Out of the bunch I’d have to go with the indigo as far as “seeming” more intelligent. She is much more alert and active in taking her surroundings. Her head movements are much more bird/mammal like than other snakes I’ve seen (probably due to their metabolism, which is faster than a lot of snakes and makes for lots of food and lots of poop). She is certainly the most visually intelligent species I’ve had. She’s very curious (more than once, she’s risen out of my hand, vertically, to watch the ceiling fan…but not get too close). She seems able to make eye contact…rather than seeing people as amorphous blobs (many times, she can lock on my eyes, and if I turn my head, her head will turn too). I’ve never had a snake that constantly watches the world outside their cage like my indigo does. If she’s hungry (and sometimes when she’s not), she’ll go to the corner of the cage and carefully watch my activities in my bedroom. In fact, an indigo is the only snake that I’d feel bad about putting in an opaque cage – snakes in general are not claustrophobic and don’t need a
”big-wide” world to see, but Indigos seem to get some enrichment from visual stimulation.

I’ve heard that Cobras behave in a very similar manner and I imagine other sight-hunting snakes do to.

Drymarchon spp. and Naja spp. tend to exhibit some level of intelligence and, as has been mentioned, the two appear to be quite closely related; hence the reason Dr. Wolfgang Wuster coined Drymarchon "Honorary Cobras", as they “feel” much the same when handling, not to mention, there are a number phenotypic similarities between the two. I would also like to throw in Python reticulates, as they too appear to demonstrate a high level of awareness, which is often the behavior by which we measure the “intelligence” of serpents..
As for basing intelligence regarding feeding response, as someone mentioned earlier, Drymarchon spp. would win such a contest hands down, as there are few animals which harbor the feeding response of Drys, not to mention, they are rivaled only by varanids when it comes to diet, as they will feed on birds, rodents, reptiles (even turtles), amphibians and have been known to take road kill in the wild.
Also, as was mentioned, chelonians are quite intelligent, but there is some debate as to whether the intelligence of chelonians surpasses that of varanids.
An avid Drymarchon breeder shared an interesting story with me once; He explained how he was feeding one of his young D. couperi a live mouse, he said the mouse bit the snake on the head, when the snake seized the mouse by the side. I was told the indigo immediately submerged its head within the water bowel, mouse still clinging by its teeth, long enough to drown the mouse, and then promptly ate it. To me, this says something about intelligence. I further believe Spilotes pullatus could be amended to a list of “intelligent” snakes, as I have witnessed them constrict multiple rodents at the same time, then devour the rodents in the order they expired…

Best regards,

Jeff
-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Drymarchon spp. and Naja spp. tend to exhibit some level of intelligence and, as has been mentioned, the two appear to be quite closely related; hence the reason Dr. Wolfgang Wuster coined Drymarchon "Honorary Cobras", as they “feel” much the same when handling, not to mention, there are a number phenotypic similarities between the two. I would also like to throw in Python reticulates, as they too appear to demonstrate a high level of awareness, which is often the behavior by which we measure the “intelligence” of serpents..
As for basing intelligence regarding feeding response, as someone mentioned earlier, Drymarchon spp. would win such a contest hands down, as there are few animals which harbor the feeding response of Drys, not to mention, they are rivaled only by varanids when it comes to diet, as they will feed on birds, rodents, reptiles (even turtles), amphibians and have been known to take road kill in the wild.
Also, as was mentioned, chelonians are quite intelligent, but there is some debate as to whether the intelligence of chelonians surpasses that of varanids.
An avid Drymarchon breeder shared an interesting story with me once; He explained how he was feeding one of his young D. couperi a live mouse, he said the mouse bit the snake on the head, when the snake seized the mouse by the side. I was told the indigo immediately submerged its head within the water bowel, mouse still clinging by its teeth, long enough to drown the mouse, and then promptly ate it. To me, this says something about intelligence. I further believe Spilotes pullatus could be amended to a list of “intelligent” snakes, as I have witnessed them constrict multiple rodents at the same time, then devour the rodents in the order they expired…

Best regards,

Jeff
-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

The first one didn't appear to come up, so I posted it again, but here's a pic to make up for it..

Jeff

-----
Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947