Snakes... personality?

[giggle]

I have seen a few people refer to their snakes as having personality.

I have never had the privilege of experiencing any personality. Snakes are beautiful and fascinating to me... but I would love it if people could share their experience of snake personalities

 

[jack]

an example: i have one little female tiger snake who tries to kiss me all the time, even when i just walk past the enclosure... and her brother i could comfortably cuddle, i reckon he'd just curl up on my lap if i let him.

 

[Wallypod]

my childrens after a feed will hope out of the feeding tub and head straight for his enclosure

 

[Wallypod]

if that counts as personality

 

[thals]

One of my female jungles simultaneously squirts both faeces and urine in my face when I open her tub, does this count? :lol:

 

[evilj]

i know alot of people reckon its bs, but my jungle knows who i am without a doubt and is MUCH more relaxed with me than anyone else. I believe they do have a personality to some degree.

Example: If me and my missus are sitting on the lounge with friends on one of them is holding her, she'll come straight back for me and curl up around my wrist or cruise up the back of my shirt and play in the back of my head and collar.

 

[Wallypod]

Example: If me and my missus are sitting on the lounge with friends on one of them is holding her, she'll come straight back for me and curl up around my wrist or cruise up the back of my shirt and play in the back of my head and collar.

ha ha ha mine do that to

 

[cris]

It is a fact that snakes are stupid, but they do learn to some extent and have a small brain that seems to be quite efficeient considering how stupid many larger brained primates are. Each animal is an individual and should have the freedom not to be judged as stupid, snake or human doesnt matter.

 

[giggle]

Dont want anyone getting defensive its not meant as a criticism... I have just heard people refer to snakes with personality... I have no experience on the subject and would rather hear opinions and stories from experienced people than believe any particular thing outright.

But lol Thals!!!! xD I guess you could call that personality.

 

[the_tsar]

I only have one snake, but I would assume personality would be the unique behavioural traits seen in each animal. Ie how it reacts to stimulas versas another of the same species.

While they are reptiles, I would think they have unique cause and effect behavioural programming specific to their past and species, giving them the "personality" traite unique to to that animal

 

[scorps]

Alot of people say the snake is calmer with me then others, Im not saying this is incorrect but it may possible be to the fact that the people that your showing arnt reptile owners or just dont know if you snake bites or not so they may be a little more edgy as aposed to you who would remain calm while holding the animal which would there for help keep the snake calm

Scorps

 

[JasonL]

My BHPs are the life of any party, so much so I don't let them out any more.

 

[Fantazmic]

My female Jungle Python Elvira is into everything every time we let her out....she loves to explore and interact with us all the time....she is really curious and has to be in the centre of everything we are doing.

Alvin my boy on the other hand is a sook....his favourite place is on the inside of my jumper or on my lap....curled up and asleep...exactly the same as if he was in his enclosure.

Is that what you mean by personality....they are both quiet different but we love both of them just the same.

elizabeth

 

[Wally]

Yesterday a friend of mine asked if I would give him a hand to remove a rather cranky Coastal from it's enclosure at a pet shop in Melb while his girlfriend ( new manager of said shop ) cleaned it's enclosure. Cranky soon became an understatement. But my mate and I soon became endeared to the cranky Coastals personality. In the end we both wanted to take it home.

 

[J-A-X]

5 Darwins from the same clutch,
- one will happily come out, climb up and around my shoulders (not neck) and fall asleep, regardless of what i am doing he will stay there, never bitten, hates going 'home'
- one beats a hasty retreat into her hide the minute i open the enclosure, never bitten, tolerates being handled, runs for her hide the second you point her towards 'home'
- one is a neutral type of python, she seems happy to stay where she is, or tolerates being dragged out on cleaning day, never bitten, some days will run 'home' other days she couldn't care less
- one could be described as cage defensive, she can be nippy,but not always, when you take her out and then be quite happy to be out and will avoid going 'home'
- one can only be described as a scaredy cat, everything scares the daylights out of him, but not all the time, had many nips, sometimes happy to go home, other days not too concerned.

all housed individually, all identical setups and feeding routine, yet 5 different 'personalities'

 

[kat2005dodi]

My 2 olives have very different personalities. The girl very confident,calm and content, the boy very adventurous! I often let them out of their enclosure for a stretch and a change of scenery. The girl is quiet happy to snuggle up on the lounge with me, the boy is off exploring and reaking havoc in the house. Probably scaring the c--p out off my other snakes.
It is pretty funny trying to put them back in their enclosure, during breeding season, you put one bit in and another bit goes out, it is like trying to control 18 ft of snake (9ft each) with 2 heads, I am sure they have a strategy. I love my olives, they are so placid, and boy do they fascinate visitors..

 

[ozziepythons]

Some of the scientific minded among us would flat out say no, as it isn't an attribute you can measure or quantify and say that its just reptile keepers anthropomorphising their pets. However, the experience of keeping countless pythons and/or elapids and being in tune with their behavioural patterns through the course of their lives tends to lead to the conclusion that indeed they are individualistic. Some behaviour seems to be innate, others are learnt.

 

[Snakewoman]

My MD is more comfortable being held by me. My family loves him and is confident handling him, but he always wants to come back to me. Some days when I'm trying to put him back in his enclosure, I have to keep pushing him back because he's trying to come back out... he's a real sticky nose! I let him cruise around on the table sometimes, but if he gets a fright he comes back to me as quick as he can. :lol:

 

[giggle]

ha ha xD well whether its scientifically true or not... some of your stories sound endearing. And I guess no matter what you have... with perhaps the exception of birds... we completely anthropomorphise their actions to accommodate our own feelings xD Dogs don't "love" us, they just see us as pack leader and need to suck up to us for social benefit ^_^ parrots often actually seek a partner so I guess that point is arguable and their social intelligence is way up there.

I've debated having a snake for many years and I saw some snakes recently which just stole my heart... and Im trying to be logical about a decision as to whether a snake is for me or not. Analyzing other peoples reasons and comparing them to me own.

 

[LadyJ]

My bredli, Diablo, will strike like mad at anyone but me. My boyfriend and conducted an experiment, I was just getting Diablo out of his enclosure and the boy (James) walked in. The moment he was in the room Diablo s-bent and posed right towards James, but payed no attention to me as I stroked his sides. The moment James walked out, Diablo started to act normal. The moment he'd walk in, agression... moment he left, fine... this went on for a while.

Finally I thought, ah yeah, he's nervy about a second person and instructed James to sit where I was and I left the room and stood around a corner where Diab couldn't see me. James told me the whole time Diablo was arked up and ready to strike, as soon as I entered the room he looked at me and straight back to James and arked up again... I could touch him and stroke him and he'd pay no attention.

Interesting, eh? We tried with glass door open and closed on the enclosure to see if it was scent related... but nope... I thought it was James' obnoxious shirt so I put my jacket on him (which also had my scent) and nope, still after James. Diablo hates James... whether that's personality or not I dunno, but he's funny around certain people.