Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

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Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby Herald_23 » Mon Jan 14, 2013 2:10 am

(Not sure if this is the right place to post this. Please move if needed. Thanks)

I was speaking to a friend of mine at our local snake park about the king cobra that continuously knocks over the palm tree in his cage and waits against the door when one of the guys wants to clean, so this has me thinking...

After various observations of repitition causing snakes to realise it's lunch time i.e opening of cage doors, and handling, is it possible that snakes have a decent memory and can remember sounds (vibrations) and smells associated with feeding and handling?

In theory, as an example, a corn snake recognises the smell of a mouse as food, then it should associate the smell of its handler as a non-threat (or threat)?
I have also heard of snakes with interesting habits like tipping water bowls after the cage is cleaned, and nose-rubbing against the door on feeding day.

Thoughts? Opinions?
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby coral snake » Mon Jan 14, 2013 7:34 am

Sometimes when feeding my corn male. I'll try and get him to lift is body as high as he can before giving him his mice. This has become a nice feeding routine for us. Still I haven't heard of any trained snakes. But I was watching a programme on Monitors ,wich shows their learning ability especially when it comes to food and feeding. Hope this helps
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby Lillypod » Mon Jan 14, 2013 7:40 am

When my ball python sees me or my boyfriend she moves to the door of her cage and watches us, but when she can't see is she just lays there relaxing. My one male beardie loves attention and when we are in the room he will walk up and down the enclosure rubbing his nose on the door or scratching it, if you throw a towel over the cage he stops... Just my experience.

I believe all animals are intelligent in their own ways just like humans. I have seen very "dumb" animals and very "smart" animals off the same species, so I think it all depends on the individual animal.
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby Kuro » Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:15 am

Read that some people "train" there retics. Knocking on the glass when they are going to feed, otherwise just opening. This seemed to work for them, but people also say that retics are smarter than other snakes. You can read about it in the JanFeb issue of Ultimate Exotics.
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby Lillypod » Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:52 am

I want that issue, but my CNA here is out of stock! :'(
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby CarlaSmit87 » Mon Jan 14, 2013 2:12 pm

I had a ball python that "learned" to open her sliding glass door enclosure. Did this quite a few times until I started placing a bit of prestick inbetween thie glass.
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby Ryuu » Mon Jan 14, 2013 2:54 pm

I had a burmese a while back that use to lift himself as high as I was so that I could pick him up once I got in he's room... Also My female was very defensive once it was on me.. Eg I would drape her around my shoulders and she would not let other people touch her or me.. But when I wasn't holding her she was placid. Retics are definitely highly intelligent snakes.. Also king cobras and black
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby wadekilian » Mon Jan 14, 2013 3:07 pm

@Lillypod, get a subscription, its a bit cheaper and it gets delivered to you for free. :-)
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby Lillypod » Mon Jan 14, 2013 6:26 pm

I should get a subscription...
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby gekosin » Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:59 am

Not sure if its the same but I'm still convinced that my corn likes to be handled, as soon as there is any movement from me or my girlfriend in the room she starts to slither up and down the tank till we take her out...
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Re: Reptilian intelligence and memory retention

Postby Davidc » Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:17 am

coral snake wrote:Sometimes when feeding my corn male. I'll try and get him to lift is body as high as he can before giving him his mice. This has become a nice feeding routine for us. Still I haven't heard of any trained snakes. But I was watching a programme on Monitors ,wich shows their learning ability especially when it comes to food and feeding. Hope this helps

You clearly have not been reading the classifieds on Gumtree......loads of trained snakes for sale there. Sadly they all seem to be from Nigeria so getting them here may be a problem. :lol:
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