how smart are boas

ilovemyboa · #1 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 09:18 AM

if no one minds a couple of more questions, is it possible to "tease" a snake, no intentionally, but would it be if a person was to bring live food in to the snakes enviroment and not feed him right away, or by maybe opening the cage door and not taking him out and hubby lets him cruise by himself, i don't mind, i love snakes, but will he get hurt or something?

thanks for the help
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rar · #2 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 10:25 AM

if a person was to bring live food in to the snakes enviroment and not feed him right away

^ Thats quite dangerous to the snake, not to mention (to an extent) morally wrong to both animals.

or by maybe opening the cage door and not taking him out

^ I dont know about anyone else, but i dont really think my snake would be bothered if i opened his viv door and dident take him out...i do this on a regular basis when i change water anyway.

As for letting him 'cruise' round, i let mine cruise on the floor on a regular basis, but i never take me eye off him, even for a split second. The only real way your snake can get injured/killed is if some clumsy person stands on its head etc.....and if you nip to the kitchen for a cup of coffee when its out cruisin' and it gets lost, it could possibly end up dead/injured also.

Errr, hope this helps [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]
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ilovemyboa · #3 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 12:00 PM

thank you for your reply, i should of made myself more clear, i didn't mean during the time we give fresh water, cause it is open at that time for a few, but just to put a hand in to pet him, and he thinks he is coming out, and i didn't mean that the live feeder is in his cage, still in the bag from the pet store, but just brought into the same room as the snakes thanks
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Shadrach · #4 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 01:57 PM

Lets see the rat in the room still in the baggy or box can get pretty hairy sometime's I don't know if it really is teasing or not but I've got snake's that tend to smell them as soon as you come into the house with them. I have fed some and not fed others and the one's not fed go into feed mode and then their not able to be handled the rest of that day.
Now on the opening and not getting them out deal I think it just depends on the snake it self I've had one's in the past that would crawl straight to you when the enclosure opened and other's that just lay there. You'll begin to notice the larger Boids seem to have a better intellengce than other snakes. What I mean by that Boas tend to act social toward us (BCI, BCC, and some Rainbows) like they want to be out and handled and Pythons tend to act like they are watching our every move (Scrubs, Retics, Burms)
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herm · #5 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 02:48 PM

Feeding live prey to your snake is not recommended.
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Flood · #6 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 02:49 PM

I agree with Shad. I find that all my pythons and boas that I have ever had(excluding 2 or 3)knew when there was food as soon as it was out of the freezer. As far as leaving food in the room with the snake I have found that it sends their senses crazy especially if it is bleading, or warm. But, uh...the whole boid thing, probably just general and "friendliness" would probably depend more on the individual snake. I have had jumpy, anti-social BCI's as well as pythons, but I have also had pythons with an affectionate streak. Like my burm, she seems to enjoy handlings and being out around my shoulders, she has distinguished the difference between certain peole aswell.
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Ed_r · #7 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 02:59 PM

I agree mine know when the food comes out of the freezer. Most of my snkes if put on the ground in a group of people will come to me. For those that have heard my Burm stories, Thats a fact he has his favorite people.
Never Live Food. I really dont even like fresh killed. Still can carry more parasites than frozen.
Actually I almost think its safe to say some Boas are smarter than their owners.
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C. hortulanus bites · #8 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 07:52 PM

As far as that whole mouse in the bag issue, I used to keep a feeder tank of mouse just a few feet form my king snake and BCI and I never had any problems, never been bit. The king would just "tell" me when he was ready to eat and it didn't seem to bother the boa one bit. I don't have the mice cage anymore (too stinky!), but my king always knows when food is coming.
Rosey (my little BCI) knows me by smell real well. She reaches out to me when other people are holding her. I'll be walking by or sitting next to the person holding her and she wants to come to me.

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east_stingray · #9 (**permalink**) 12-14-2002, 01:32 AM

I would have to agree with these guys. Peaches (BCC) knows who I am. She still gets jumpy when I just walk by the cage and occasionally strikes the glass, but if I'm getting her out and she smells me she comes out of strike mode. She also likes to try to get up inside my shirt if she can. Usually I don't go for that though, seeing as how she's usually colder than me. Just my .02
-East
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#10 (**permalink**) 12-14-2002, 01:53 AM

Herm ? I think they were just talking about having live feed/prey in the same room with the snake, not actually feeding live prey. Least i hope that was what was meant [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

As for having it/live prey in the same room with the snakes. We have rat, mouse, hamster and also rabbit breeders in the same room as our snakes and none of them ever get aggressive or into a striking type thing from such at all. Think they are just used to it is all possibly.
I think if the snake is fed as needed, then it couldn't be a form of teasing them. Just my opinion of course [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
BUT If you were to bring live feed into the room [ where there usually isn't any] and then not feed them and they are hungry..might be a form of teasing to them [ and would most likely result in a strike when ya went to reach into their cage possibly also at that point].

I don't see where the opening a cage and not taking them out would be like teasing though [ long as you didn't restarin them from coming out on their own that is ].

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>Actually I almost think its safe to say some Boas are smarter than their owners. </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL.. Sorry thing is that you are most likely correct in that statement even..LOL

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geckokid · #11 (**permalink**) 12-19-2002, 11:56 PM

I agree with everyone here on every anwser. It has not been
proved yet but nobody really knows how they think. Some can
have differant personalities.
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#12 (**permalink**) 12-20-2002, 02:32 PM

Snakes don't think, they react. They have instincts, not the ability to reason; that is strictly reserved for humans and some simians.
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herm · #13 (**permalink**) 12-20-2002, 02:48 PM

Sorry, I was on crack that day and I misread the post. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

My snake knows when there is a potential meal in the room. He spends most of his time in his hide box until I bring in his meal to be thawed. Then he comes out of his box and starts trying to find out where the scent is coming from. I think it's best not to keep food in the same room as your snake. Except maybe for a short time so he can get some exercise!! As to the intelligence of snakes, mine, I am sorry to say, is retarded. I make him wear a football helmet so he doesn't hurt himself. But I still love him.
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herm · #14 (**permalink**) 12-20-2002, 03:14 PM

>>Snakes don't think, they react. They have instincts, not the ability to reason; that is strictly reserved for humans and some simians.

Also dolphins, killer whales, and my cat Sinbad. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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ratsickle · #15 (**permalink**) 12-25-2002, 01:51 AM

HI,
I asked camille how smart snakes where the other day , and she
wouldn't give me an answer but she looked like she was thinking about.
heheh

now after the question and answer session I returned her to her cage and she knew what to
with the ratsickles on da floor and no coaxing required..she's never had live or fresh killed never will...

train your babies to eat fresh thawed its a lot easier and cheaper as adults I only pay 2.34
for Junbo's for my guyana's..
The local pet store want 5.00 for a jumbo live and I hate killin rats.. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cry.gif[/img]
Yea I am a wimp ,, rats got feelings too doug

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Aint them BOA'S COOL --

amanda57 · #16 (**permalink**) 05-28-2004, 04:33 AM

ooh again i reiterate i hate posting or talking but this post i have to answer to i have big boas and believe me they are smart
but i treat them with respect never take them for granted they are predators etc etc and on a totally different note all of my snakes have different temperaments etc i think its really a case of getting to know your pet properly etc i know which of my babies i can tease and which will bite me i dont take it personally they are reptiles powerful predators i think a lot of the time we tend to forget that about the reptile but the simple fact is they are potentially dangerous animals and need a little respect as well as good husbandry and handling lol I have an amazingly big male boa and he is a darling he lets ppl pet him he is very soft etc but there are the odd days when he reverts to total reptile and then even im wary of him lol you really have to read the individual reptile but never ever get too complacent these are powerful beautiful predators we are talking about here

keller346 · #17 (**permalink**) 05-28-2004, 05:09 PM

Well I did some tests with my redtail. I have a 75 gal tank and took 3 peices of plexi and cut holes in them 1 each and staggered them. I placed a rat at the end and made sure that he couild smell it and see it. The first few times he was bumping into the plexi until he found the holes. Did this about 4 times and now he goes strait for the holes and strait to the rat. My test reveals this: Snakes can remember, snakes can figure out problems, and if they can remember and solve problems, then they must be able to reason. just thought I would share. Oh and I also did this with my gold fish and they could figure it out too.

eddie · #18 (**permalink**) 05-28-2004, 05:22 PM

That can also be considered a Pavlovian response.
The real trick to figuring out problems is when it can consistantly make it through with little to no failure when the holes are re-arranged constantly.
And you must take into consideration that the snake may just be following the scent of the food as it is dispersed through the air and holes, showing only that its sense of smell is the leading factor.

keller346 · #19 (**permalink**) 05-28-2004, 05:26 PM

I meant that I let him smell it on the side he was on and then put it on the other side. I will do a few more tests and see what happens

louise · #20 (**permalink**) 05-28-2004, 05:49 PM

im so confused! lol.

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